How to Say "Breakfast" in Chinese

早餐

zǎocān

The English phrase "breakfast" is translated into Chinese as 早餐 (zǎocān) or 早饭. Wiktionary also lists 早飯 / 早饭 (zǎofàn).

Meaning: first meal of the day (noun)

Ways to say it

“breakfast” in Chinese
Chinese	Romanization (Wiktionary)
早餐	zǎocān
早飯 / 早饭	zǎofàn

This refers to the first meal of the day.

The term 早餐 is composed of 早 (early/morning) and 餐 (meal). The term 早饭 is composed of 早 (early/morning) and 饭 (meal/cooked rice).

早饭 is the colloquial form commonly used in spoken daily conversation, while 早餐 is a more formal version often found in written Chinese or on menus.

In southern parts of China, such as Guangdong Province, the term 早点 is commonly used to refer to breakfast.

zǎocān

In the Cantonese-speaking regions of southern China, 早茶 (morning tea) refers to a ritual called 'yum cha'. It is not just a drink but a leisurely social brunch featuring dim sum and tea.
The character 饭 used in 早饭 literally means 'cooked rice'. In Chinese, the word for a staple grain often serves as the general word for the entire meal.
While 早餐 is the standard term, some people use the phrase 吃早点 to mean 'having breakfast'. The word 点 refers to 'dim sum' or small snacks, reflecting a history of breakfasting on light bites.

瑪格準備早餐。
Meg is preparing breakfast.
This sentence shows someone preparing the 早餐.
Tatoeba #13199768 by LeviHighway, translation #31802 by CN
早餐是幾點開始？
When does breakfast start?
This sentence is useful for asking about the time 早餐 is served.
Tatoeba #6284521 by xjjAstrus, translation #7681632 by potatoindespair
玛丽吃过早餐了。
Mary had breakfast.
This sentence shows someone having already eaten 早餐.
Tatoeba #8969815 by WilsonWong, translation #2870753 by Amastan
我每天早上都吃早餐。
I eat breakfast every morning.
早餐是一天中最重要的一餐。
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
我今天早上没吃早饭。
I didn't have breakfast this morning.
早饭准备好了，你可以开始吃了。
Breakfast is ready, you can start eating now.
你想吃什么样的早点？
What kind of breakfast do you want?
广东的早点非常美味。
Breakfast in Guangdong is very delicious.
94 more sentences on Tatoeba

A young man and woman are talking in the kitchen in the morning.

俊杰 Junjie

梓涵，你要吃早餐吗？
zǐ hán, nǐ yào chī zǎo cān ma?
Zihan, do you want to eat breakfast?
梓涵 Zihan

我想吃鸡蛋和面包。
wǒ xiǎng chī jī dàn hé miàn bāo.
I want to eat eggs and bread.
俊杰 Junjie

好，我这就去准备。
hǎo, wǒ zhè jiù qù zhǔn bèi.
Okay, I will go prepare it now.
梓涵 Zihan

谢谢你，俊杰。
xiè xie nǐ, jùn jié.
Thank you, Junjie.

Sources

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