慢慢吃
mànmàn chī
To say "enjoy your meal" in Chinese, you use 慢慢吃 (mànmàn chī).
慢慢吃 is used by a host or a waiter to tell guests to take their time and enjoy the food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 慢慢吃 literally translates to "slowly eat".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal settings, you can use 祝您用餐愉快 to mean "wishing you a pleasant meal" or 请您慢用 which means "please eat slowly". The version 慢用 is a more formal and polite variation often used by professional service staff in restaurants. For a more informal tone, you can use 吃得开心, which translates to "eat happily".
How do you pronounce it?
mànmàn chī
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, telling someone to "eat slowly" is a way of showing hospitality and suggesting they should not rush through the meal.
Did you know?
- In many Chinese social circles, instead of wishing someone a good meal, it is more common to ask 吃了吗? which means 'Have you eaten?' This serves as a friendly greeting similar to 'how are you?' rather than a literal inquiry into your hunger.
- The grammar of 慢慢吃 uses a reduplicated adjective 慢慢, a common feature in Chinese that often softens the tone of a command to make it sound more like a warm wish.
- While 慢慢吃 asks guests to eat slowly, it is considered impolite for a guest to finish their food too quickly, as it may signal to the host that the portion was insufficient.
Examples in context
- 请慢慢吃。Qǐng mànmàn chī.Please, enjoy your meal.
- 大家请慢慢吃。Dàjiā qǐng mànmàn chī.Please enjoy your meal, everyone.
- 不用客气，慢慢吃。Búyòng kèqi, mànmàn chī.No need for politeness, enjoy your meal.
Example conversation
A woman serves food to a man at a restaurant.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen菜都上齐了，请慢慢吃。Cài dōu shàng qí le, qǐng mànmàn chī.The dishes are all served, please enjoy your meal.
- 俊杰 Junjie谢谢，看起来很好吃。Xièxie, kàn qǐlái hěn hǎochī.Thank you, it looks delicious.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你喜欢的话，下次再来。Nǐ xǐhuān de huà, xiàcì zài lái.If you like it, please come again next time.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，没问题。Hǎo de, méi wèntí.Okay, no problem.
