A strainer is a kitchen tool full of little holes: you pour something through it, the liquid runs out and the solid bits stay behind. A tea strainer catches the leaves; a big one catches the noodles when you pour away the hot water.

A strainerStrainer（濾網） is是 a kitchen tool full of little holes一種佈滿小洞的廚房工具：you pour something through it你把東西倒進去，the liquid runs out and the solid bits stay behind液體流出去，固體的部分留下來。A tea strainer catches the leaves濾茶用的strainer會擋住茶葉；a big one catches the noodles when you pour away the hot water大一點的則是在你把熱水倒掉時擋住麵條。

It is usually a bowl or cone of wire mesh or perforated metal or plastic, often with a handle. The related word is 'colander' — a colander is the bigger bowl with larger holes that you tip pasta or washed vegetables into; a strainer is generally finer and smaller.

It is usually a bowl or cone of wire mesh or perforated metal or plastic它通常是碗狀或圓錐狀，材質是鐵絲網或有洞的金屬、塑膠，often with a handle常常還有握把。The related word is 'colander'相關的字是'colander'（濾水籃）——a colander is the bigger bowl with larger holescolander是洞比較大的大碗，that you tip pasta or washed vegetables into你會把義大利麵或洗好的蔬菜倒進去；a strainer is generally finer and smaller而strainer通常比較細、比較小。

But people are loose about this in real kitchens, and plenty of speakers call both a strainer.

But people are loose about this in real kitchens不過在真實的廚房裡大家對這個分法沒那麼嚴格，and plenty of speakers call both a strainer很多人兩種都叫strainer。

Outside the kitchen, the same word is used for filters in machines and water pipes — an oil strainer, a pump strainer. Note that the everyday verb for using one is not usually 'strainer' anything; you 'strain' the tea, or you 'drain' the pasta, and 'drain' is the word most people reach for at the sink.

Outside the kitchen廚房之外，the same word is used for filters in machines and water pipes這個字也用在機器和水管裡的過濾器上——an oil strainer, a pump strainer像oil strainer（機油濾網）、pump strainer（幫浦濾網）。Note that the everyday verb for using one is not usually 'strainer' anything要注意日常用它的動詞通常不是從'strainer'變來的：you 'strain' the tea你會說'strain'茶，or you 'drain' the pasta或'drain'義大利麵，and 'drain' is the word most people reach for at the sink而'drain'是大家在水槽邊最常用的字。