忌口

• Pinyin: jì kǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 忌 = 己 + 心 (to guard against); 口 = pictograph of mouth (eating and speaking)

Meaning

To avoid certain foods; dietary restriction. The deliberate abstention from specific foods for reasons of health, medical recovery, religious observance, or cultural taboo.

Commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine contexts where doctors prescribe foods to avoid during illness or recovery (e.g. 忌生冷, 忌辛辣). Also applies to religious dietary restrictions and personal allergies.

Examples

1. 中医师告诉她调理期间必须忌口，不能食用生冷和辛辣的食物。 The traditional Chinese medicine practitioner told her that during treatment she has to watch her diet and avoid raw, cold, and spicy foods.
2. 因为对海鲜严重过敏，他在外出就餐时一向注意忌口，不敢轻易尝试陌生的料理。 Because he’s severely allergic to seafood, he’s always careful about dietary restrictions when eating out and doesn’t dare try unfamiliar dishes casually.
3. 这位运动员备赛期间严格忌口，拒绝了所有高糖高脂食物，只按照营养师的方案进食。 While preparing for competition, the athlete strictly controlled their diet, refusing all high-sugar and high-fat foods and eating only according to the nutritionist’s plan.

Usage Guide

Context: health, medicine, food, diet

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 术后康复期严格忌口，有助于伤口愈合，也能降低感染和并发症风险。(Strict dietary restrictions during recovery after surgery help wounds heal and also reduce the risk of infection and complications.)
• 当地传统饮食中的忌口习俗，常与气候、历史和民间医学观念相关，不宜简单视为迷信。(The dietary taboos in local traditional cuisine are often linked to climate, history, and folk medical ideas, and should not be dismissed as mere superstition.)

Don't Say

• 忌口 vs 节食 — 忌口 means avoiding specific forbidden foods (usually doctor-advised or culturally required); 节食 means reducing overall food intake for weight loss. Do not conflate the two

Origin & History

忌 (to avoid/abstain) + 口 (mouth — eating and drinking)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal