Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 好吃 | |
| 可口 | kěkǒu |
| 美味 | měiwèi |
| 鮮美 / 鲜美 | xiānměi |
| 好喝 | hǎohē |
The general way to describe something that is pleasing to taste is to choose a term based on the type of food and the level of formality desired. Use 好吃 for solid foods and 好喝 for liquids, such as drinks or soups. For seafood or broths, 鮮美 / 鲜美 is used to specifically denote that the food tastes fresh. If you want to describe the texture or mouthfeel of food, you can use the phrase 口感绝佳 or use 香嫩可口 specifically for meat to emphasize tenderness and succulence.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 好吃 is a compound of 好 (good) and 吃 (to eat), literally meaning "good to eat".
Which one should you use?
While 好吃 is the standard colloquial term for solid foods, you must use 好喝 when describing the deliciousness of liquids. 美味 is a more formal and literary way to say "delicious" or "flavorful". 鮮美 / 鲜美 differs from the others by specifically implying that the food is fresh, which is a common way to describe seafood or broths.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say something is "very delicious" using the common term, add 很 before 好吃 to form 很好吃.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 好吃 to describe liquids or drinks. Instead, use 好喝 to describe things that are delicious to drink.
Did you know?
- When praising a chef, saying the food is 好吃 is common, but describing the 'breath' or aroma as 香 (fragrant) is considered a higher compliment.
- Using the formal 美味 in a casual street food setting might make you sound like a food critic or a character in a period drama rather than a hungry local.
- The character 好 in 好吃 can be pronounced as 'hào' in other contexts, changing the meaning from 'good' to 'to love' or 'to be fond of'.
Examples in context
- 蛋糕很美味。The cake is delicious.This sentence is useful for practicing the formal term 美味.Tatoeba #4759956 by ryanwoo, translation #4580227 by AlanF_US
- 这条鱼很好吃。This fish is delicious.This sentence demonstrates the common usage of 好吃 for solid food.Tatoeba #2778814 by GlossaMatik, translation #3049852 by CK
- 咖哩非常好吃。The curry was very delicious.This sentence shows how to use 好吃 with an intensifier.Tatoeba #5843632 by pftest2382785, translation #792568 by ryanthewired
- 炸鸡很美味。The fried chicken is very delicious.
- 这个蛋糕的口感绝佳。The texture of this cake is excellent.
- 这个烤鸭肉香嫩可口。This roast duck is fragrant, tender, and delicious.
- 这个面包好吃！This bread is delicious!
- 这碗麻辣烫好吃极了！This bowl of spicy hot pot is incredibly delicious!
- 这个芒果冰好好吃！This mango shaved ice is extremely delicious!
- 这个水煮鱼的味道好极了！The taste of this boiled fish is extremely delicious!
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie and Xiaowen are eating lunch together at a small cafe.
- 俊杰 Junjie这个面条很好吃。Zhège miàntiáo hěn hǎochī.This noodle dish is delicious.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也觉得，很有味道。Wǒ yě juéde, hěn yǒu wèidào.I think so too, it's very flavorful.
- 俊杰 Junjie晓雯，你要再吃一点吗？Xiǎowén, nǐ yào zài chī yīdiǎn ma?Xiaowen, do you want to eat a little more?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen不用了，我已经吃饱了。Bùyòng le, wǒ yǐjīng chī bǎo le.No thanks, I am already full.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “delicious” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
