Meanings of 吃
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About 吃
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Podcast: 吃
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AI Study Notes for 吃
吃 (chī) vs 喝 (hē) — use 吃 for solid food consumption, and 喝 for liquid consumption.
Imagine a big mouth (口) chowing down on a delicious meal. The character 吃 has the mouth radical (口) at its base, reminding you that it is all about eating. Picture this mouth making a 'chī' sound as it enjoys every bite!
Be careful with using 吃 in different contexts, such as '吃饭' (chī fàn) meaning 'to eat rice/meal.' It is informal, so avoid using it in overly formal writing. Remember that the tone is important: keep it at the first tone to avoid confusion with other meanings.
As an HSK Level 1 word, 吃 connects well with other basic verbs like '喝' (hē, to drink) and '走' (zǒu, to walk). Focus on using it in simple sentences and practice common phrases like '我吃苹果' (wǒ chī píngguǒ, I eat an apple) to build fluency.
In Chinese culture, meals are significant social events, and the act of eating is often linked to family gatherings and celebrations. The phrase '吃饭了吗?' (Chī fàn le ma?) is a common greeting, reflecting the importance of food in social interactions.
Learners often confuse 吃 with other similar verbs. For instance, saying '我喝苹果' (wǒ hē píngguǒ) is incorrect for 'I eat an apple.' The correct phrase is '我吃苹果' (wǒ chī píngguǒ).
Pronunciation of 吃
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Etymology of 吃
Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 乞 represents the sound.
mouth
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 吃?
Decomposition of 吃
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Write 吃
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Practice writing 吃 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 吃
吃 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 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.
Complete the Sentence
这包子好____吗？
Are these buns tasty?
Example Sentences for 吃 (10)
Cultural Notes for 吃
In Chinese culture, meals are significant social events, and the act of eating is often linked to family gatherings and celebrations. The phrase '吃饭了吗?' (Chī fàn le ma?) is a common greeting, reflecting the importance of food in social interactions.
Word Family of 吃
Compound Meaning
What does 吃 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 吃
You can use 吃 to describe eating something, like '我吃了很多水果' (wǒ chī le hěn duō shuǐguǒ), meaning 'I ate a lot of fruit.'