好吃
hǎochī/xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩⁵⁵/
The English phrase "yum" can be expressed in Chinese as 好吃 (hǎochī).
好吃 is used to indicate delight at the flavor of food. In casual settings, saying the word with an enthusiastic tone functions as an exclamation of delight while eating. For an informal way to say something tastes particularly fragrant or flavorful, you can use 香.
Meaning: indicating delight at the flavor of food (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 好 (hǎo), meaning 'good' and 吃 (chī), meaning 'to eat'.
Which one should you use?
While 好吃 is used for food, the term 好喝 (hǎohē) is the equivalent term used to say a liquid or drink is delicious.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say something is 'very yummy', you can add 很 (hěn), meaning 'very', before 好吃, resulting in 很好吃.
How do you pronounce it?
hǎochī
Did you know?
- The concept of 'yumminess' in Chinese culture is often linked to the 'breath of the wok' or 锅气, a specific charred flavor that makes a dish feel truly 'delicious'.
- The character 好 is a combination of the radicals for 'woman' and 'child', which historically symbolized 'goodness' or 'excellence'.
- While 好吃 describes taste, the word 香 can be used as a metaphor to describe a person or a situation that is highly attractive or desirable.
Examples in context
- 好吃啊!Yum!
- 香哦!It's so yummy!
- 超好吃Super yummy
- 非常好吃Extremely delicious
- 这个蛋糕好吃不好吃?Is this cake delicious?
- 好吃极了!It's extremely delicious!
- 妈妈，这碗面好吃吗?Mom, is this bowl of noodles delicious?
- 好吃极了，再来一碗吧!It's extremely delicious, have another bowl!
- 这个蛋糕很好吃。zhège dàngāo hěn hǎochī.This cake is very delicious.
- 妈妈做的菜真好吃！māma zuò de cài zhēn hǎochī!Mom's cooking is really yummy!
Example conversation
Junjie and Xiaowen are eating lunch at a restaurant.
- 俊杰 Junjie晓雯，这个面条好吃吗？Xiǎowén, zhège miántiáo hǎochī ma?Xiaowen, is this noodle dish delicious?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen非常好吃！fēicháng hǎochī!It's very yummy!
- 俊杰 Junjie我也觉得很好吃。Wǒ yě juéde hěn hǎochī.I also think it's delicious.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我们再点一份吧。wǒmen zài diǎn yī fèn ba.Let's order one more serving.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 好吃, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
