半生(はんなま)

Describes food that is only partially cooked. Can be desirable (as with a medium-rare steak or a soft-boiled egg) or a health concern (as with undercooked chicken). Note the reading: 半生(はんなま) refers to cooking doneness, while the same kanji read as はんせい means "half a lifetime."

Common collocations

• 半生(はんなま)の卵(たまご): soft-boiled/half-raw egg
• 半生(はんなま)で焼(や)く: to cook medium-rare
• 半生(はんなま)状態(じょうたい): half-cooked state

Similar words

• 生(なま): raw — completely uncooked
• レア: rare — loanword used specifically for steak doneness
• 半熟(はんじゅく): soft-boiled — specifically for eggs, where the yolk is still runny
• 生焼(なまや)け: undercooked — implies the food should have been cooked more