好吃
hǎochī/xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵⁵/
In Chinese, the phrase for "tastes good" is 好吃 (hǎochī).
The phrase 好吃 is used to describe food that has a pleasant flavor.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 好 (good) and 吃 (to eat), literally meaning "good to eat".
Which one should you use?
You should use 好吃 for solid food, but if you are describing the pleasant taste of liquids or drinks, such as soup, use 好喝 instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that something tastes "very" good, you can add 很 before 好吃, resulting in 很好吃.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is hǎochī and the IPA is /xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈʂʰɻ̩⁵⁵/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 好吃 to describe the taste of drinks.
Did you know?
- The character 好 in 好吃 is a compound of the characters for 'woman' and 'child', reflecting an ancient cultural view that a woman with a child represents the ideal of 'good'.
- The word 吃 (to eat) is used in many idioms that have nothing to do with taste, such as 吃醋 (to eat vinegar), which actually means to be jealous.
- To describe something that tastes 'too' good or is an indulgent treat, people may use the phrase 好吃到爆炸, which literally means 'so tasty it explodes'.
Examples in context
- 當你餓的時候，任何東西都好吃。When you're hungry, anything tastes good.This sentence is useful for illustrating that anything tastes good when you are hungry using 好吃.Tatoeba #907527 by Martha, translation #402333 by CK
- 这道菜很好吃。This dish tastes delicious.
- 这个蛋糕真好吃！This cake is really tasty!
- 这道烧鸭真是美味可口。This roasted duck is truly delicious and mouth-watering!
- 这碗面条好吃极了！This bowl of noodles is incredibly delicious!
- 这个苹果很好吃。Zhège píngguǒ hěn hǎochī.This apple tastes good.
- 妈妈做的菜很好吃。Māma zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.The food mom makes tastes good.
Example conversation
志强 and 晓雯 are eating lunch at a restaurant.
- 志强 Zhiqiang晓雯，这个面条好吃吗？Xiǎowén, zhège miàntiáo hǎochī ma?Xiaowen, does this noodle taste good?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen很好吃，味道很棒！Hěn hǎochī, wèidào hěn bàng!It tastes good, the flavor is great!
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也觉得很好吃。Wǒ yě juédé hěn hǎochī.I also think it tastes good.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我们多点一点吧。Nà wǒmen duō diǎn yīdiǎn ba.Then let's order a little more.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 好吃, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
