好吃
hǎochī/xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵⁵/
The English phrase "good eat" is translated into Chinese as 好吃 (hǎochī).
好吃 is used to describe food that tastes good.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 好 (hǎo), meaning 'good' and 吃 (chī), meaning 'to eat'.
Which one should you use?
While 好吃 is used for solid food, use 好喝 specifically for liquids like soup, tea or juice that taste good.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that food does not taste good, add 不 (bù) before 好吃 to form 不好吃.
How do you pronounce it?
hǎochī
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use 好吃 to describe a person who is attractive in a literal sense. However, in Chinese, it strictly refers to the flavor of food.
Did you know?
- The word 好吃 is part of a larger pattern where 好 is added to any verb to mean that the action is pleasant or easy to do, such as 好看 (hǎokàn) for 'good to look at'.
- When someone treats you to a meal that is 好吃, it is customary to praise the host's taste or the chef rather than just the food itself to show more politeness.
- While 好吃 is the standard term, foodies in China often use the slang 绝了 (jué le) to describe a taste so good that it is 'unbeatable' or 'beyond words'.
Examples in context
- 这道菜很好吃!This dish is very tasty!
- 今天的晚餐真好吃!Today's dinner is really delicious!
- 你做的菜好香!The food you made smells amazing!
- 这个很好吃。This is very delicious.
- 这个菜很好吃。Zhège cài hěn hǎochī.This dish is very delicious.
- 妈妈做的饭很好吃。Māma zuò de fàn hěn hǎochī.The food Mom makes is delicious.
- 你觉得这个好吃吗？Nǐ juéde zhège hǎochī ma?Do you think this tastes good?
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are eating lunch together.
- 志强 Zhiqiang梓涵，这个面好吃吗？Zǐhán, zhège miàn hǎochī ma?Zihan, are these noodles tasty?
- 梓涵 Zihan非常好吃！Fēicháng hǎochī!They are very delicious!
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也觉得很好吃。Wǒ yě juéde hěn hǎochī.I think they are delicious too.
- 梓涵 Zihan下次我们再来这里。Xiàcì wǒmen zài lái zhèlǐ.Let's come here again next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 好吃, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
