好吃
The English word delicious is translated into Mandarin primarily as 好吃. Wiktionary also lists 可口 (kěkǒu) and 美味 (měiwèi).
Meaning: pleasing to taste (adj)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 好吃 | |
| 可口 | kěkǒu |
| 美味 | měiwèi |
| 鮮美 / 鲜美 | xiānměi |
| 好喝 | hǎohē |
These terms are used to describe food that is pleasing to the taste. While many words mean delicious, the specific term you choose depends on whether you are eating solid food, drinking a liquid or describing a specific quality like freshness.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 好吃 is a compound of 好 (good) and 吃 (to eat), literally meaning 'good to eat'. Similarly, 好喝 is a compound of 好 (good) and 喝 (to drink), meaning 'good to drink'.
Which one should you use?
Use 好吃 for solid food and 好喝 for liquids such as tea or soup. For a more descriptive sense of being 'fresh and delicious', particularly regarding seafood or broths, use 鮮美 / 鲜美.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because 好吃 is an adjective, you use 很 (very) instead of 是 (is) to say 'it is delicious'.
Did you know?
- In some Chinese cultures, it is common to politely decline a compliment about your cooking by saying 没有, which means 'no' or 'not at all', rather than saying 'thank you'.
- The character 好 in 好吃 is a phono-semantic compound combining 'woman' and 'child', originally symbolizing a 'good' or 'harmonious' family.
- If you call a soup or tea 好吃, a native speaker will understand you, but it will sound as strange as if you said a drink is 'good to chew'.
Examples in context
- 蛋糕很美味。The cake is delicious.This sentence is useful for practicing the formal term with the word 美味.Tatoeba #4759956 by ryanwoo, translation #4580227 by AlanF_US
- 这条鱼很好吃。This fish is delicious.This sentence shows the use of 好吃 for a specific food item.Tatoeba #2778814 by GlossaMatik, translation #3049852 by CK
- 咖哩非常好吃。The curry was very delicious.This sentence demonstrates using the word 好吃 with an intensifier.Tatoeba #5843632 by pftest2382785, translation #792568 by ryanthewired
- 这道菜非常美味！This dish is very delicious!
- 这个烤鸭看起来香喷喷的！This roasted duck looks fragrant and appetizing!
- 这家餐厅供应美食佳肴。This restaurant offers gourmet food.
- 这个面包真好吃！This bread is really delicious!
- 蛋糕出炉了，真香！The cake is out of the oven, really delicious!
- 这个汤做得棒极了！This soup is made exceptionally delicious!
- 这碗面看起来很可口。This bowl of noodles looks very delicious.
- 今晚的晚餐好好吃啊！Tonight's dinner is really delicious!
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Xinyi are eating at a small restaurant.
- 浩然 Haoran欣怡，这个面条好吃吗？Xīnyí, zhège miàntiáo hǎochī ma?Xinyi, is this noodle delicious?
- 欣怡 Xinyi非常好吃，浩然你也试试。Fēicháng hǎochī, Hàorán nǐ yě shì shì.It's very delicious, Haoran, you should try it too.
- 浩然 Haoran真的很好吃！Zhēn de hěn hǎochī!It really is delicious!
- 欣怡 Xinyi我们下次还来吧。Wǒmen xià cì hái lái ba.Let's come back again next time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “delicious” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
