馋

• Pinyin: chán
• Hanzi breakdown: 馋 = 饣(food radical) + 巉 (phonetic)

Meaning

Greedy for food; to crave; to have one's appetite whetted.

Describes an irresistible craving for food or, by extension, any strong desire for something tempting. 馋猫 (greedy cat) is an affectionate term for a foodie. Can also be used as a verb: 馋死我了 (I'm dying of craving for this).

Examples

1. 闻到隔壁飘来的红烧肉香味，他立刻馋得直咽口水。 Catching the aroma of braised pork wafting from next door, he immediately started salivating with craving.
2. 这段探店视频看完之后，我整个人都馋了，恨不得立刻冲去吃。 After watching this restaurant-visit video, I was absolutely craving it and wanted to rush there to eat immediately.
3. 她是出了名的馋嘴，每次出差第一件事就是找当地最有名的小吃。 She is famously fond of good food — the first thing she does on every business trip is find the most famous local snacks.

Usage Guide

Context: food, everyday, social media, colloquial

Tone: playful

Do Say

• 你发的那张蛋糕照片把我馋坏了，赶紧告诉我在哪里买的！(That cake photo you posted has got my mouth watering — hurry up and tell me where you bought it!)
• 他虽然在减肥，但每次路过那家烤鸭店还是忍不住馋。(Even though he is on a diet, every time he passes that roast duck shop he cannot help but crave it.)

Don't Say

• 他馋了那份工作合同。(馋 is specifically about food cravings or sensory desires; for coveting something non-food use 眼红 or 羡慕)

Origin & History

馋 = 饣(food) + 巉 (phonetic — steep, craving). The food radical indicates a food-related desire.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal