What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 菜 (cài) meaning 'dish' or 'food', 很 (hěn) meaning 'very' and 好吃 (hǎochī) meaning 'delicious'.
Which one should you use?
While 菜很好吃 is the standard way to say the food is delicious, you can use 菜太好吃了 (cài tài hǎochī le) to add an emphatic 'too' or 'so' to express higher levels of enthusiasm.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, the adjective for 'delicious' (好吃) does not change its form to indicate past tense. The context of your conversation determines whether you are saying the food 'is' or 'was' delicious.
How do you pronounce it?
cài hěn hǎochī
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to add a word for 'was' to indicate past tense, but adding 了 (le) to the end of this phrase can change the nuance to mean 'the food has become delicious' or is used for emphasis rather than a simple past tense.
Did you know?
- The word 菜 can also mean 'vegetable' or 'amateur'. Calling someone a 菜鸟 (cài niǎo) literally means they are a 'vegetable bird' or a complete novice.
- While 好吃 is used for food, the word for 'delicious' changes to 好听 when describing music or a voice, and 好看 when describing something visually pleasing.
- Chinese has a specific word 鲜 (xiān) to describe a 'delicious' savory taste, often associated with seafood or MSG, which cannot be fully captured by the general 好吃.
Examples in context
- 这道菜非常美味。This dish is very delicious.
- 这个菜真好吃！This dish is really delicious!
- 这顿饭太赞了！This meal is awesome!
- 好吃到停不下来！It's so delicious that I can't stop eating!
- 这道菜太辣了，太过瘾了！This dish is exceptionally spicy and satisfying!
- 妈妈做的菜很好吃。Māma zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.The food Mom makes is delicious.
- 今天的菜很好吃。Jīntiān de cài hěn hǎochī.Today's food was delicious.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Jiayi are finishing a meal at a restaurant.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你觉得这里的菜很好吃吗？Jiāyí, nǐ juéde zhèlǐ de cài hěn hǎochī ma?Jiayi, do you think the food here is delicious?
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，菜很好吃。shì de, cài hěn hǎochī.Yes, the food is delicious.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也这么觉得。wǒ yě zhème juéde.I think so too.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我们下次再来吧。wǒmen xiàcì zài lái ba.Let's come back next time.
