Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
吃东西 (chī dōngxi) is an informal way to say "eat something". For a playful tone, often used by younger generations, you can use 吃饭饭 (chī fàn fàn). In more polite or formal settings like restaurants or invitations, use 用餐 (yòng cān). In professional or official environments, such as seminars or official gatherings, the term 就餐 (jiù cān) is frequently used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous action of "eating" (the present continuous aspect), add the aspect marker 在 before 吃 to form 在吃. When discussing the frequency or occurrence of eating, you can use the measure words 顿 (dùn) or 次 (cì).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is chī. The IPA is /ʈʂʰɻ̩⁵⁵/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to use a specific word for "breakfast", "lunch" or "dinner" as a verb. Instead, in Chinese, you should use 吃 followed by the meal name, such as 吃早餐 for "to eat breakfast".
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, asking 你吃饭了吗? ('Have you eaten?') is often used as a general greeting similar to 'How are you?' rather than a literal question about your meal.
- The word 吃 can be used in idiomatic expressions to mean 'suffering' or 'enduring' something, such as 吃苦 ('eating bitterness') meaning to endure hardship.
- The character for 'eat', 吃, contains the radical 口, which means 'mouth'. This visually represents the physical action required to consume food.
Examples in context
- 我刚刚吃完。I have just finished eating.This sentence shows how to use 吃 to indicate a completed action.Tatoeba #1878330 by sadhen, translation #1369314 by CK
- 我在吃什么？What am I eating?This sentence shows the use of 吃 in a question about one's own action.Tatoeba #2777864 by GlossaMatik, translation #2771789 by Ricardo14
- 在吃什么呢？What are you eating?This sentence shows the use of 吃 in a question directed at someone else.Tatoeba #4879262 by musclegirlxyp, translation #1097919 by cntrational
- 吃一顿饭 (chī yī dùn fàn)Have a meal
- 吃一点 (chī yī diǎn)Have some food
- 上司：你每天的用餐方式是怎样的？Boss: What is your daily dining style like?
- 朋友：晚上有一起吃饭的计划吗？Friend: Do you have plans to eat together tonight?
- 同伴：嗯，我们可以一起吃一顿好吃的晚饭。Companion: Yes, we can have a delicious dinner together.
- 212 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to do for lunch.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你现在想吃什么？Nǐ xiànzài xiǎng chī shénme?What do you want to eat now?
- 俊杰 Junjie我想吃中餐。Wǒ xiǎng chī Zhōngcān.I want to eat Chinese food.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我们去吃面条吧。Wǒmen qù chī miàntiáo ba.Let's go eat noodles.
- 俊杰 Junjie好啊，走吧。Hǎo a, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 吃, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
