[Grammar] The word "cook" confuses me, please help

[kwanbhan]

When cook is used as an intransitive verb after a noun food as in "Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater, so food cooks faster in salt water."
"Fruit ripens" is ok to me, but "food cooks" is confusing since food can't perform an action cook by itself.

I have no problem understanding it when it is used in a passive voice as in "Food can be cooked faster in a pressure cooker"

Please help me.
:-?:-?

 

[Raymott]

When cook is used as an intransitive verb after a noun food as in "Salt water boils at a higher temperature than freshwater, so food cooks faster in salt water."
"Fruit ripens" is ok to me, but "food cooks" is confusing since food can't perform an action cook by itself.

I have no problem understanding it when it is used in a passive voice as in "Food can be cooked faster in a pressure cooker"

Please help me.
:-?:-?

It's just a feature of English that you'll have to get used to. Food can cook by itself in English (as long as you've set up the equipment properly.) Lots of things happen like this.
If you spend too long in the sun your skin can burn. (The sun can burn your skin), etc.

 

[kwanbhan]

Thank you very much. Very difficult for non native learners. It will take some getting used to. I feel less confident now. I am not sure, for example, if the building can build by itself in English. I hope not.

 

[5jj]

The example sentences in a good dictionary will usually help.