HSK Guide

吃 chī — to eat

chī (first tone, high and level)chi1

to eat

HSK 1· HSK 1–4 (classic)verb
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Meanings

  1. to eat

    To eat solid food. Chinese keeps eating and drinking strictly apart: anything liquid takes 喝, so it is 喝水, never 吃水.

    verb

Character breakdown

  • 吃
    chī (first tone, high and level)

    to eat; to take (a meal, medicine); to absorb, to take in

    6 strokes⿰口乞Radical 口

Example sentences

  • 我想吃米饭。我想吃米飯。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) chī (first tone, high and level) mǐfàn. (third tone, dipping)···

    I’d like some rice.

  • 你今天吃苹果了吗？你今天吃蘋果了嗎？Nǐ (third tone, dipping) jīntiān (first tone, high and level) chī (first tone, high and level) píngguǒ (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) ma? (neutral tone)···

    Did you have an apple today?

Common mistakes

  • Not quite我吃水。

    Correct我喝水。

    Liquids are never "eaten" in Chinese. Water, tea and juice all take 喝, even where another language would say "have".

Similar words

Words containing 吃