There are at least two verbs for 'cook' in Somali, 'kari' and 'bislee'. 'Kari' has the general meaning of cooking,
Maxaad karinaysaa? - What are you cooking?
Bariis iyo hilib baan karinayaa - I'm cooking rice and meat
'Bislee' also means 'to cook' but it can also mean 'to ripen'. Therefore, 'cook' in this sense means making something ready to eat(i.e. 'cooked' as opposed to 'raw'). In English, we use the same word 'cook' to describe both these meanings. For example,
I cooked this meal. Have some - Cuntada baan kariyey. Cun.
Person A tastes the food, spits it out and says,
It's not cooked! - Ma bisli!
So the verb 'bislee' can maybe be translated to 'to cook well' and 'to be ripe' for fruits.
Si wacan baad u bisleesey - You cooked it well. (lit:'You cooked it in a good way')
Whereas 'kari' is a more general term for cooking. Note that we use 'kari' for making tea,
Muxuu sameeynayaa? - What's he doing?
Shaah buu karinayaa - He's making tea.
'Kari' can also mean 'to boil'.
'to fry' is 'shiil',
Maxaad shiilaysaa? - What are you frying?
Ukun iyo basal baan shiilayaa - I'm frying eggs and onions
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