Chinese word

吃饭

Pronunciation

Pinyinchī fàn

Meaning

  • verbeat

Example

我们一起吃饭吧。wǒ men yì qǐ chī fàn ba

Let's eat together.

Illustration for 吃饭 (eat)

More examples

我们晚上六点在家吃饭。wǒ men wǎn shàng liù diǎn zài jiā chī fàn

We eat at home at six in the evening.

Core concept

A person takes food into the body as a complete meal, whether the focus is one occasion or the regular habit of eating.

Common phrases

  • 一起吃饭yì qǐ chī fàn

    eat together

  • 去吃饭qù chī fàn

    go out to eat

  • 在家吃饭zài jiā chī fàn

    eat at home

Similar words

吃chī: Eat food by taking it into the mouth and chewing or swallowing it.
吃东西chī dōng xī: Eat a particular food, often as a snack or light bite.
喝hē: Drink a beverage or other liquid by taking it into the mouth and swallowing it.

Definition in Chinese

进食、吃一顿饭，也可泛指用餐的时间或习惯性的吃饭行为。jìn shí chī yí dùn fàn yě kě fàn zhǐ yòng cān de shí jiān huò xí guàn xìng de chī fàn xíng wéi

Word origin

The compound 吃 (chī, "eat") + 饭 (fàn, "cooked rice; meal") forms 吃饭 (chīfàn, "have a meal"), with 饭 extending from cooked rice to the meal built around it.

Usage tips

  • In Chinese, this verb commonly refers to the meal as an event, so it appears in plans and invitations even when no particular food is mentioned.

Word lists with this word