Meaning & use
soy
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Meanings
noununcountable
The soybean plant or the beans, or foods and drinks made from them.
Grammar: Uncountable: we eat soy, not a soy. Often used before another noun: soy milk.
Patterns
- made from soy
- soy milk
She replaced the dairy in the recipe with soy.
Farmers in the region grow corn and soy.
Many vegetarian burgers contain soy for protein.
noununcountableinformal
A dark salty sauce made from fermented soybeans.
Grammar: Short for soy sauce.
Patterns
- a splash of soy
Add a splash of soy to the rice.
He dipped the sushi in soy.
The marinade is mostly soy and garlic.
Common combinations
- soy sauce
- Pass the soy sauce, please.
- soy milk
- I take soy milk in my coffee.
- soy protein
- The bar is made with soy protein.
- soy allergy
- Her son has a soy allergy, so she reads every label.
- soy beans
- Soy beans are boiled before they are used to make tofu.
- soy-based
- The shop sells soy-based yogurt.
Synonyms and how they differ
- soya
- Soya is the British spelling and form of soy, used in British food labels.
- soybean
- Soybean names the bean itself, whereas soy can also mean products made from it.
Word family
- soybean noun
- the legume from which soy products are made
- soya noun
- the British word for soy
- soy sauce noun
- a salty sauce made from soybeans
- soymilk noun
- a drink made from soybeans
Commonly confused: soy or Spanish soy?
soy vs Spanish soy
In Spanish, soy means 'I am' and is a different word entirely. The English word is pronounced like 'boy'.
Practice
Tofu is made from the curds of milk pressed from which bean?
Choose one answer.
Tofu is made from soy milk. Sorghum, sesame and spelt are grains or seeds, not beans used to make tofu.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “soy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.