drain the water

Meaning

This expression means to empty or remove liquid from a container, food item, or sink, allowing it to flow away completely. In cooking, it is used when you want to discard the liquid entirely (e.g., draining water from boiled potatoes or canned beans). The tone is neutral, practical, and highly versatile.

Examples

• After boiling the potatoes, drain the water and mash them with butter.

  After boiling the potatoes, drain the water and mash them with butter.

• Open the can of chickpeas and drain the water before adding them to the salad.

  Open the can of chickpeas and drain the water before adding them to the salad.

• You need to drain the water from the spinach by squeezing it tightly.

  You need to drain the water from the spinach by squeezing it tightly.

• Leave the tofu on a paper towel to drain the excess water.

  Leave the tofu on a paper towel to drain the excess water.

• Don't forget to drain the water from the sink when you're finished washing up.

  Don't forget to drain the water from the sink when you're finished washing up.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Empty the water of the boiled potatoes.

  ✓ Drain the water from the boiled potatoes.

  'Empty' usually refers to the container itself (e.g., 'empty the pot'), whereas 'drain' refers to the removal of the liquid from the contents.

• ✗ Lose the water from the canned beans.

  ✓ Drain the water from the canned beans.

  'Lose' is a literal translation error from languages where the same verb means 'to get rid of' or 'to drop'. In English, we use 'drain'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Once the vegetables are tender, ___ and season them with salt.

  💡 Remove the cooking liquid completely.

  Show answer

  drain the water

• You should wash the canned beans and then ___ thoroughly.

  💡 Let the liquid run out of the can or colander.

  Show answer

  drain the water