吃

• Pinyin: chī
• Hanzi breakdown: 吃 = 口 (mouth) + 乞 (phonetic) — putting food in the mouth

Meaning

To eat. The basic verb for consuming food.

The most fundamental eating verb in Chinese. Takes a direct object: 吃饭 (eat a meal), 吃苹果 (eat an apple). Also appears in figurative expressions like 吃苦 (endure hardship, literally 'eat bitterness') and 吃惊 (be surprised). In spoken Chinese, 你吃了吗？ is a common greeting.

Examples

1. 你想吃什么？ What would you like to eat?
2. 我吃了一个苹果。 I ate an apple.
3. 我们吃中国菜吧。 Let's eat Chinese food.

Usage Guide

Context: food, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你吃了吗？(Have you eaten? — a common greeting)
• 我们出去吃吧。(Let's eat out.)

Don't Say

• 吃水 for drinking water (Use 喝水 for drinking — 吃 is for food, 喝 is for liquids)

Origin & History

Composed of 口 (mouth) on the left and 乞 (to beg, phonetic) on the right. The mouth radical clearly relates to the action of putting food in one's mouth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal