好吃
hǎochī/xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵⁵/
The English phrase "tasty" is translated into Chinese as 好吃 (hǎochī).
好吃 is used to describe food that has a pleasant flavor when eaten. It is important to note that while it describes tasty food, it cannot be used to describe a pleasant smell or a pleasant sight.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 好吃 is composed of 好, meaning "good" and 吃, meaning "to eat".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you add the particle 的 to the end of the adjective, 好吃的 becomes a noun phrase meaning "tasty things" or "delicious food".
How do you pronounce it?
hǎochī
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 好吃 to describe a drink being tasty. For liquids, you should use 好喝, which means "good to drink".
Did you know?
- The character 好 within 好吃 is a combination of the symbols for 'woman' and 'child'. Historically, this combination represented the concept of 'goodness' or 'harmony'.
- The character 吃 (to eat) is used in many common idioms that have nothing to do with food. For example, 'eating bitterness' describes the act of enduring great hardship.
- While 好吃 describes taste, the concept of 'delicious' in Chinese often overlaps with 'fragrant' using the word 香. A meal that smells wonderful is often called 香, even if you have not tasted it yet.
Examples in context
- 我想吃點好吃的。I want to eat something tasty.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to eat something tasty using 好吃.Tatoeba #4061626 by egg0073, translation #4091863 by andymakespasta
- 他们的苹果没有我们的好吃。Their apples aren't as tasty as ours.This sentence shows how to compare the tastiness of two different items using 好吃.Tatoeba #4874063 by musclegirlxyp, translation #1580112 by fanty
- 我喜欢和朋友一起讨论好吃的。I like to talk about tasty food with my friends.This sentence shows how to discuss tasty food with friends using 好吃.Tatoeba #4625764 by Yashanti, translation #4626122 by Jlemien
- 这道菜真好吃！(Zhè dào cài zhēn hǎo chī!)This dish is really tasty!
- 这家餐厅的食物都非常美味。(Zhè jiā cān tīng de shí wù dōu fēi cháng měi wèi.)The food at this restaurant is very tasty.
- 这碗拉面的口感不错。(Zhè wǎn lā miàn de kǒu gǎn bú cuò.)The texture of this bowl of ramen is great.
- 这个蛋糕好吃极了！(Zhè ge dàn gāo hǎo chī jí le!)This cake is absolutely delicious!
- 这家小吃摊的炸鸡真是美味可口。(Zhè jiā xiǎo chī tān de zhá jī zhēn shì měi wèi kě kǒu.)The fried chicken from this street food stall is so delicious.
- 这碗牛肉面的味道不错。(Zhè wǎn niú ròu miàn de wèi dào bú cuò.)The beef noodle soup tastes good.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Jiayi are eating lunch at a new cafe.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你觉得这个面条好吃吗？Jiāyí, nǐ juéde zhège miàntiáo hǎochī ma?Jiayi, do you think these noodles are tasty?
- 佳怡 Jiayi非常好吃，我也很喜欢。Fēicháng hǎochī, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān.Very tasty, I like them a lot too.
- 志强 Zhiqiang太好了，我很高兴你喜欢。Tài hǎole, wǒ hěn gāoxìng nǐ xǐhuān.Great, I am glad you like it.
- 佳怡 Jiayi志强，我们下次再来吧。Zhìqiáng, wǒmen xià cì zài lái ba.Zhiqiang, let's come again next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 好吃, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
