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饮食 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
饮食yǐnshífood and drinkHSK 5, n, rank #7262, Hard
饮食yǐnshídietHSK 5, n, rank #7262, Hard
yǐnshí(yin3shi2) T3
  1. 1food and drink
  2. 2diet
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March 24, 2026
饮食(飲食)yǐnshí(yin3shi2)

饮食 refers to food and drink, encompassing both what people consume and their dietary habits. It is commonly used in contexts discussing nutrition, health, and lifestyle choices related to eating and drinking.

Frequency#7262DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 饮食 is closely tied to traditional beliefs about balance and health, often reflected in practices like Yin-Yang dietary principles and the importance of seasonal eating.

Memory Tip

Think of 饮 as 'yin', which sounds like 'in', and imagine a cup of drink 'in' your hand. The 食 part resembles a plate of food. Together, you have 'food and drink' in your 'hand'.

Meanings of 饮食

yǐnshí(yin3shi2)
1food and drink
2diet
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 饮食

饮食Simplified
飲食Traditional
Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#7262Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2

Podcast: 饮食

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Podcast: 饮食

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AI Study Notes for 饮食

Quick Contrast

饮食 (food and drink) vs 食物 (food) — use 饮食 when discussing both food and drink together, while 食物 refers specifically to food alone.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 饮 as 'yin', which sounds like 'in', and imagine a cup of drink 'in' your hand. The 食 part resembles a plate of food. Together, you have 'food and drink' in your 'hand'.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 饮食 with just 'food' (食物), as 饮食 includes both food and drink. This term is more formal and is often used in health-related discussions.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 饮食 connects with topics like health and wellness. Students should focus on using it in contexts of dietary discussions and learn related vocabulary like 健康 (health) and 营养 (nutrition).

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 饮食 is closely tied to traditional beliefs about balance and health, often reflected in practices like Yin-Yang dietary principles and the importance of seasonal eating.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 饮食 to refer only to food, neglecting the drink component. For example, saying '我喜欢饮食' (I like food) should be corrected to '我喜欢食物和饮料' (I like food and drinks).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 饮食

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Component Characters

yǐnto drink
7 strokes
View full entry
shíto eat
9 strokes
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Write 饮食

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

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Grammar Patterns of 饮食

饮食 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

民以食为天,____乃人生大事。

Food is heaven for the people — eating is a great matter of life.

Example Sentences for 饮食 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你的饮食中新鲜果蔬充足吗?

nǐ de yǐn shí zhōng xīn xiān guǒ shū chōng zú ma?

Are there plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet?
2
关键是你的饮食要多样化,并保持均衡。

guān jiàn shì nǐ de yǐn shí yào duō yàng huà, , bìng bǎo chí jūn。

It is essential that your diet is varied and balanced.
3
在减肥过程中保持饮食的营养相对均衡是明智的。

zài jiǎn féi guò chéng zhōng bǎo chí yǐn shí de yíng yǎng xiāng duì jūn héng shì míng zhì de。

It makes sense to eat a reasonably balanced diet when slimming.
4
英国也有美食,只是一般的日常饮食太过糟糕。

yīng guó yě yǒu měi shí, , zhī shì yī bān de rì cháng yǐn shí tài guò zāo。

English food can be wonderful but the normal English diet is abominable.
5
他把身体好归功于适当的饮食及运动.

tā bǎ shēn tǐ hǎo guī gōng yú shì dāng de yǐn shí jí yùn dòng.

He ascribed his good health to proper diet and exercise.
6
在学校的自助餐厅里你会发现有很多饮食可供选择。

zài xué xiào de zì zhù cān tīng lǐ nǐ huì fā xiàn yǒu hěn duō yǐn shí kě gōng xuǎn zé。

You will find a wide variety of choices available in school cafeterias.
7
饮食中摄入过量蛋白质可能会加速衰老。

yǐn shí zhōng shè rù guò liáng dàn bái zhì kě néng huì jiā sù shuāi lǎo。

Too much protein in the diet may advance the ageing process.
8
无麸质饮食对一些关节炎患者有疗效。

wú fū zhì yǐn shí duì yī xiē guān jié yán huàn zhě yǒu liáo xiào。

Some cases of arthritis respond to a gluten-free diet.
9
饮食专家可以对日常饮食的方方面面提出建议。

yǐn shí zhuān jiā kě yǐ duì rì cháng yǐn shí de fāng fāng miàn miàn tí chū jiàn yì。

Dietary experts can advise on the ins and outs of dieting.
10
限制饮食和放松身心是保持健康的两个要诀。

xiàn zhì yǐn shí hé fàng sōng shēn xīn shì bǎo chí jiàn kāng de liǎng gè yào jué。

Diet and relaxation are two important keys to good health.

Cultural Notes for 饮食

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, 饮食 is closely tied to traditional beliefs about balance and health, often reflected in practices like Yin-Yang dietary principles and the importance of seasonal eating.

Frequently Asked Questions about 饮食

You can say '我关注饮食健康' (I pay attention to dietary health) to emphasize the importance of what you eat and drink.