"Eat" • Chinese-English Dictionary

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吃饭 chī fàn to have a meal / to eat / to make a living
食用 shí yòng to eat / to consume / edible
进食 jìn shí to take a meal / to eat
吃食 chī shí to eat (of bird or animal) / to feed
用饭 yòng fàn to eat / to have a meal
食 shí to eat / food / animal feed / eclipse
餐 cān meal / to eat / classifier for meals
哺 bū to eat / evening meal
茹 rú to eat / (extended meaning) to endure / putrid smell / vegetables / roots (inextricably attached to the plant)
噇 chuáng to eat (archaic)
吃喝 chī hē to eat and drink / food and drink
用餐 yòng cān to eat a meal
吃掉 chī diào to eat up / to consume
张口 zhāng kǒu to open one's mouth (to eat, speak etc) / to gape / to start talking (esp. to make a request)
吃饱 chī bǎo to eat one's fill
吃喝玩乐 chī hē wán lè to eat, drink and be merry (idiom) / to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure
吃肉 chī ròu to eat meat
吃不下 chī bu xià not feel like eating / be unable to eat any more
吃住 chī zhù food and lodging / to stay (at some place) and eat meals (there)
白吃 bái chī to eat without paying / to eat for free
吃草 chī cǎo to graze / to eat grass
生吃 shēng chī to eat raw
食人 shí rén man-eating (beast) / to eat people / fig. to oppress the people
食言 shí yán lit. to eat one's words / to break a promise / to go back on one's word / to renege / unsworn testimony
两全其美 liǎng quán qí měi to satisfy rival demands (idiom) / to get the best of both worlds / to have it both ways / to have one's cake and eat it too
用 yòng to use / to employ / to have to / to eat or drink / expense or outlay / usefulness / hence / therefore
暴食 bào shí to eat too much / to binge
食道 shí dào esophagus / the proper way to eat / food transportation route
饱餐 bǎo cān to eat and eat / to stuff oneself
食补 shí bǔ tonic food (food considered to be particularly healthful) / to eat such foods
打底 dǎ dǐ to lay a foundation (also fig.) / to make a first sketch / to eat sth before drinking / to apply an undercoat
自食其力 zì shí qí lì lit. to eat off one's own strength (idiom) / fig. to stand on one's own feet / to earn one's own living
采食 cǎi shí to forage / to gather for eating / to pick and eat
吃不上 chī bu shàng unable to get anything to eat / to miss a meal
大快朵颐 dà kuài duǒ yí to gorge oneself / to eat heartily (idiom)
饥不择食 jī bù zé shí when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (idiom) / beggars can't be choosers / When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives.
吃不了兜着走 chī bu liǎo dōu zhe zǒu lit. if you can't eat it all, you'll have to take it home (idiom) / fig. you'll have to take the consequences
鱼与熊掌 yú yǔ xióng zhǎng lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
打游击 dǎ yóu jī to fight as a guerilla / (fig.) to live or eat at no fixed place
果腹 guǒ fù to eat one's fill
开荤 kāi hūn to eat meat after having maintained a vegetarian diet / (fig.) to do sth as a novel experience
自食其果 zì shí qí guǒ to eat one's own fruit (idiom) / fig. suffering the consequences of one's own action / to reap what one has sown
大饱口福 dà bǎo kǒu fú to eat one's fill / to have a good meal
吃皇粮 chī huáng liáng lit. to eat from government coffers / to serve as a government employee / to live off government money
饱 bǎo to eat till full / satisfied
蚀 shí to nibble away at sth / to eat into / to erode
馕 nǎng to stuff one's face / to eat greedily
餍 yàn to eat to the full
嘬 chuài (literary) to gnaw / to eat ravenously
侑 yòu (literary) to urge sb (to eat or drink)
病从口入 bìng cóng kǒu rù Illness enters by the mouth (idiom). Mind what you eat! / fig. A loose tongue may cause a lot of trouble.
忍辱含垢 rěn rǔ hán gòu to eat humble pie / to accept humiliation / to turn the other cheek
率兽食人 shuài shòu shí rén lit. to lead beasts to eat the people (idiom) / fig. tyrannical government oppresses the people
看菜吃饭 kān cài chī fàn to eat depending on the dish (idiom) / fig. to act according to actual circumstances / to live within one's means
羹藜含糗 gēng lí hán qiǔ nothing but herb soup and dry provisions to eat (idiom) / to survive on a coarse diet / à / la guerre comme à / la guerre
羹藜唅糗 gēng lí hān qiǔ nothing but herb soup and dry provisions to eat (idiom) / to survive on a coarse diet / à / la guerre comme à / la guerre
食肉寝皮 shí ròu qǐn pí to eat sb's flesh and sleep on their hide (idiom) / to swear revenge on sb / implacable hatred / to have sb's guts for garters
食荼卧棘 shí tú wò jí to eat bitter fruit and lie on thorns (idiom) / to share the hard life of the common people
吃粮不管事 chī liáng bù guǎn shì to eat without working (idiom) / to take one's pay and not care about the rest
朝饔夕飧 zhāo yōng xī sūn lit. breakfast in the morning and supper in the evening (idiom) / fig. to do nothing but eat and drink
宵衣旰食 xiāo yī gàn shí to dress before light and not eat before dark (idiom) / diligently attending to official matters
癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉 lài há ma xiǎng chī tiān é ròu lit. the toad wants to eat swan meat (idiom) / fig. to try to punch above one's weight
寝食难安 qǐn shí nán ān lit. cannot rest or eat in peace (idiom) / fig. extremely worried and troubled
大吃大喝 dà chī dà hē to eat and drink as much as one likes / to make a pig of oneself
饱食终日无所用心 bǎo shí zhōng rì wú suǒ yòng xīn eat three square meals a day and do no work / be sated with food and remain idle
啗 dàn eat / entice
噉 dàn eat / entice
乱吃 luàn chī to eat indiscriminately
饇 yù to eat too much / to confer
兔子不吃窝边草 tù zi bù chī wō biān cǎo A rabbit doesn't eat the grass by its own burrow (idiom) / One shouldn't do anything to harm one's neighbors.
分餐 fēn cān separate meals / to eat individual meals (rather than taking one's food from plates served to everyone at the table)
吃白食 chī bái shí to eat without paying / to freeload
含忍耻辱 hán rěn chǐ rǔ to eat humble pie / to accept humiliation / to turn the other cheek
喫 chī variant of 吃 / to eat / to have one's meal / to eradicate / to destroy / to absorb / to suffer / to exhaust
吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸 chī bù dào pú tao shuō pú tao suān sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop) / lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them
扒搂 bā lōu to pile together / to cram food into one's mouth (with chopsticks) / to eat fast
尽饱 jìn bǎo to be stuffed to the gills / to eat to satiety
看菜吃饭，量体裁衣 kān cài chī fàn , liáng tǐ cái yī eat depending on the dish, cut cloth according to the body (idiom) / to fit the appetite to the dishes and the dress to the figure / to act according to actual circumstances / to live within one's means
细嚼慢咽 xì jiáo màn yàn to eat slowly (idiom)
胡吃海喝 hú chī hǎi hē to eat and drink gluttonously / to pig out
茹素 rú sù to eat a vegetarian diet
茹荤 rú hūn to eat meat
茹荤饮酒 rú hūn yǐn jiǔ to eat meat and drink wine
说葡萄酸 shuō pú tao suān sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop) / lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them
集餐 jí cān to eat from a common pot / communal cafeteria
食不厌精，脍不厌细 shí bù yàn jīng , kuài bù yàn xì lit. to eat but finely ground grain and finely chopped meat (idiom, from Analects) / fig. to be fastidious about one's food
食不知味 shí bù zhī wèi lit. to eat without tasting the food / worried or downhearted (idiom)
饱餐一顿 bǎo cān yī dùn to eat one's fill / to be full
鱼与熊掌不可兼得 yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
偷吃 tōu chī to eat on the sly / to pilfer food / to be unfaithful
大吃二喝 dà chī èr hē to eat and drink extravagantly / to binge
吃熊心豹子胆 chī xióng xīn bào zi dǎn to eat bear heart and leopard gall (idiom) / to pluck up some courage
心急吃不了热豆腐 xīn jí chī bu liǎo rè dòu fu hasty men don't get to eat hot tofu (idiom) / one just has to be patient / haste will ruin everything
暴饮暴食 bào yǐn bào shí to eat and drink unreasonably
又想当婊子又想立牌坊 yòu xiǎng dāng biǎo zi yòu xiǎng lì pái fāng lit. to lead the life of a whore but still want a monument put up to one's chastity (idiom) / fig. to have bad intentions but still want a good reputation / to want to have one's cake and eat it too
又要马儿跑，又要马儿不吃草 yòu yào mǎ r pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r bù chī cǎo lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom) / fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
吃喝拉撒睡 chī hē lā sā shuì to eat, drink, shit, piss, and sleep / (fig.) the ordinary daily routine
吃香喝辣 chī xiāng hē là lit. to eat delicious food and drink hard liquor (idiom) / fig. to live well
打边炉 dǎ biān lú (Cantonese) to eat hot pot / hot pot
饱食终日，无所用心 bǎo shí zhōng rì , wú suǒ yòng xīn to eat three square meals a day and do no work (idiom) / to be sated with food and remain idle
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