好食
hó-chia̍h
The Hokkien word for delicious is 好食 (hó-chia̍h).
Use 好食 to describe food that is pleasing to the taste.
Meaning: pleasing to taste (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective 好 (hó), meaning 'good' and the verb 食 (chia̍h), meaning 'to eat'.
Which one should you use?
While 好食 is used for food, the term 好啉 is the specific term used to describe a delicious drink or beverage.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something is extremely delicious, you can add 到死 after the adjective, which literally means 'delicious to the point of death' (as in 好食到死).
How do you pronounce it?
hó-chia̍h
Did you know?
- Adding 到死 to 好食 is a form of hyperbolic expression common in Southern Min languages, where death is used as a metaphor for the ultimate peak of an experience.
- The character 食 in 好食 can be pronounced as si̍k when referring to food as a general noun, but it must be chia̍h when used as the verb to eat.
- In some Hokkien-speaking communities, using 好食 can be an indirect way to compliment a host's hospitality rather than just the quality of the ingredients.
Examples in context
- 這碗麵真好食。tsia uann mian tsin ho-tsia.This bowl of noodles is really delicious.
- 這个菜好食無？tsit ke tshai ho-tsia bo?Is this dish delicious?
Example conversation
Guo Qiang and Mei Ling are eating dinner together.
- 美玲 Mei-ling國強，這個魚好食無？Guó-kiông, tse-ê hî hó-si̍k bô?Guo Qiang, is this fish delicious?
- 國強 Kok-kiang非常好食！Phi-siāng hó-si̍k!Very delicious!
- 美玲 Mei-ling我想說你應該會喜歡。Wá siáng-set lí eng-kai ē hippocampus.I thought you would like it.
- 國強 Kok-kiang感謝美玲，真的好食。Kám-siā Bí-lîng, chin-tē hó-si̍k.Thank you, Mei Ling, it really is delicious.
