to sear / to flirt with
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to sear
To briefly fry food, especially meat or vegetables, in fat over high heat so that it develops a brown crust.
Für ein gutes Gulasch muss man das Fleisch zuerst scharf anbraten.
For a good goulash, you first have to sear the meat over high heat.
to flirt with someone
Colloquial for trying to get involved with someone or flirting intensely.
Er hat sie gestern auf der Party die ganze Zeit angebraten, aber sie hatte kein Interesse.
He was flirting with her the whole time at the party yesterday, but she wasn't interested.
'Anbraten' (to sear/to flirt with) is a separable verb. The prefix 'an-' comes at the end in main clauses. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Ich brate die Zwiebeln für die Soße an.
I sauté the onions for the sauce.
You can recognize the meaning from the object: If 'anbraten' refers to food (meat, vegetables), it is about cooking. If it refers to a person (someone, her, him), the colloquial meaning 'to flirt' is meant.
Braten Sie das Hähnchen von beiden Seiten goldbraun an.
Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown.
In a cooking context, 'anbraten' (to sear) is often combined with adverbs such as 'scharf' (over high heat), 'kurz' (briefly), or 'goldbraun' (golden brown). Typical objects are 'Zwiebeln' (onions), 'Fleisch' (meat), or 'Gemüse' (vegetables).
Für das Rezept müssen Sie die Zwiebeln nur kurz in Öl anbraten.
For the recipe, you only need to briefly sauté the onions in oil.
The meaning 'to flirt' or 'to hit on' is purely colloquial. You would not use this expression in formal or neutral situations.
Ich mag es nicht, wenn man mich in einer Bar so plump anbrät.
I don't like it when someone hits on me so crudely in a bar.
to fry / roast
Braten and anbraten can both refer to cooking food in hot fat. Anbraten specifically describes the brief initial step that creates a brown crust; braten can also include continuing to cook the food until it is done. Use anbraten for the first step and braten for the entire process.
Ich brate das Hähnchen kurz in heißem Öl an, damit es eine braune Kruste bekommt.
I am briefly searing the chicken in hot oil so that it develops a brown crust.
Ich brate das Hähnchen in der Pfanne, bis es außen braun und innen durch ist.
I am frying the chicken in the pan until it is brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside.
