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飠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
飠shífood; to eatzg, 8 strokes, radical 飠
shí(shi2) T2
  1. 1food; to eat
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March 24, 2026

飠shí(shi2)

The character 飠 (shí) represents food and is commonly associated with the act of eating. It can be used in various contexts related to meals, nourishment, and culinary experiences, often emphasizing the importance of food in daily life and culture.

Strokes8Radical飠
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, food is central to social gatherings and celebrations, often reflecting regional diversity and family traditions. The character 飠 embodies this significance, as meals are often a time for bonding and cultural expression.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large plate of food (the character) that looks like a person about to eat. The shape of 飠 resembles a table filled with dishes, and you can remember its pronunciation 'shí' by thinking of a chef shouting 'Shit, dinner's ready!'

Meanings of 飠

shí(shi2)
1food; to eat
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 飠

飠Simplified
8Strokes
飠Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 飠

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Podcast: 飠

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AI Study Notes for 飠

Usage Notes

While 飠 is not commonly used on its own in modern Mandarin, it appears in compound words like 食物 (shíwù, food) and 吃 (chī, to eat). Learners should be aware that the character is often seen in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Though 飠 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other food-related terms like 吃 (chī) and 食物 (shíwù). Students should focus on how it appears in compounds to enhance their food vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 飠 with 吃 (chī) when discussing eating. For example, saying '我飠' instead of '我吃' (I eat) is incorrect; the correct term is 吃.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 飠

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Etymology of 飠

Formation TypePictographic 象形
六书 ClassificationPictograph (象形字)~4% of characters
Explanation

饣 is a component form of 食.

Memory Hint

A dish of food 良 with a lid on top 人

Learn more about Pictograph (象形字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 飠

饣 is a component form of 食.

  1. 1The giveawayA dish of food 良 with a lid on top 人
  2. 2On the record aspictographic — someone drew the thing itself.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 飠? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 飠?

Decomposition of 飠

IDS Structure⿱人?
飠Full Character
=
人ren2
top
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 飠?

How to say food; to eat in Chinese

“food; to eat” in Chinese is飠shí

The character 飠 (shí) represents food and is commonly associated with the act of eating. It can be used in various contexts related to meals, nourishment, and culinary experiences, often emphasizing the importance of food in daily life and culture.

When to use 飠

While 飠 is not commonly used on its own in modern Mandarin, it appears in compound words like 食物 (shíwù, food) and 吃 (chī, to eat). Learners should be aware that the character is often seen in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 飠 with 吃 (chī) when discussing eating. For example, saying '我飠' instead of '我吃' (I eat) is incorrect; the correct term is 吃.

Write 飠

飠

Practice writing 飠 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 飠

Words Containing This Character1
饣shí"to eat" or "food" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 184)飠
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 饣 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 飠

It's typically used in compound words, like 食 (shí) in 食堂 (shítáng, cafeteria).

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