我已经吃过了
wǒ yǐjīng chī guò le
The English phrase 'I already ate' is translated into Chinese as 我已经吃过了 (wǒ yǐjīng chī guò le).
我已经吃过了 is a statement used to inform someone that you have already had a meal. It is a common, polite response used to decline an offer of food or to answer the frequent Chinese greeting 'Have you eaten?' (你吃了吗？).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (wǒ) meaning 'I', 已经 (yǐjīng) meaning 'already', 吃 (chī) meaning 'eat', the particle 过 (guò) indicating a past experience and the particle 了 (le) indicating a completed action or change of state.
Which one should you use?
While 我已经吃过了 emphasizes the completed experience of having eaten, the simpler phrase 我吃了 (wǒ chī le) is used to just state that the action of eating is completed.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 过 (guò) is used after the verb 吃 (chī) to emphasize that the action of eating has been experienced in the past.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ yǐjīng chī guò le
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, telling someone 我已经吃过了 is a polite way to decline an offer of food or to respond to the common greeting 'Have you eaten?' (你吃了吗？).
Did you know?
- The verb used in this phrase, 吃 (chī), can be used metaphorically to describe non-food experiences. For example, the phrase 吃苦 (chī kǔ) literally translates to 'eat bitterness' but means to endure hardship.
- Someone might say 我已经吃过了 even if they are actually hungry to prevent a host from feeling pressured to provide a lavish meal.
- When speaking naturally, you can often drop the word 'I' (我) entirely and simply say 吃过了. Because the subject is usually clear from the context, the shorter version is very common in daily conversation.
Examples in context
- 我已经吃过了，谢谢你。Wǒ yǐjīng chīguò le, xièxiè nǐ.I already ate, thank you.
- 不用麻烦了，我已经吃过了。Bùyòng máfan le, wǒ yǐjīng chīguò le.No need to trouble yourself, I already ate.
- 不用问了，我已经吃过了。Bùyòng wèn le, wǒ yǐjīng chīguò le.No need to ask, I already ate.
Example conversation
A male colleague offers a female colleague some takeout at the office.
- 梓涵 Zihan伟，要不要一起吃午饭？Wěi, yào bùyào yìqǐ chī wǔfàn?Wei, do you want to have lunch together?
- 伟 Wei不用了，我已经吃过了。Bùyòng le, wǒ yǐjīng chīguò le.No thanks, I already ate.
- 梓涵 Zihan真的吗？那你要不要喝杯咖啡？Zhēn de ma? Nà nǐ yào bùyào hē bēi kāfēi?Really? Then do you want to drink a cup of coffee?
- 伟 Wei好啊，谢谢你。Hǎo a, xièxiè nǐ.Sure, thank you.
