chī
everyday
In pinyin "eat" is chī (吃). To say "eat a meal" or "have dinner" people use chīfàn (吃饭), literally "eat rice".
Meaning: to eat (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| chī | everyday |
| chīfàn | eat a meal |
A common greeting among older Chinese speakers is Nǐ chī le ma? (你吃了吗), "Have you eaten?" It works like "how are you".
How does it change in a sentence?
Chinese verbs do not change form. Add le for a finished action as in wǒ chī le (I ate) and bù for a negative as in wǒ bù chī (I do not eat it).
Did you know?
- Chī is used in many everyday phrases, such as chī zǎofàn for "eat breakfast".
Examples in context
- Wǒ xiǎng chī mǐfàn.I want to eat rice.
- Nǐ chī le ma?Have you eaten?
- Wǒ bù chī ròu.I do not eat meat.
Example conversation
Grandmother Liu invites her grandson Hao to the table in Xi'an.
- LiuHǎo, chīfàn le!Okay, time to eat!
- HaoNǎinai, wǒ è le.Grandma, I am hungry.
- LiuDuō chī yìdiǎn.Eat a little more.
