Chinese word

忌口

Pronunciation

Pinyinjì kǒu

Meaning

  • verbavoid certain foods

Example

我现在要忌口，不能吃辣的。wǒ xiàn zài yào jì kǒu bù néng chī là de

I need to avoid certain foods now and can't eat spicy food.

Illustration for 忌口 (avoid certain foods)

More examples

节日期间，他因胃病而忌口油腻食物。jié rì qī jiān tā yīn wèi bìng ér jì kǒu yóu nì shí wù

During the holidays, he avoids greasy foods because of a stomach problem.

Core concept

It puts a deliberate gate around eating, keeping selected foods out or limiting them.

Common phrases

  • 忌口油腻食物jì kǒu yóu nì shí wù

    avoid greasy foods

  • 忌口酒类jì kǒu jiǔ lèi

    avoid alcohol

  • 忌口高糖食品jì kǒu gāo táng shí pǐn

    avoid high-sugar foods

Similar words

避免bì miǎn: Stay away from something in order to prevent a bad or unwanted outcome.
忌食jì shí: Leave particular foods uneaten because treatment or a medical test requires it.
戒口jiè kǒu: Practice regularly avoiding certain foods as part of everyday life.
禁食jìn shí: Fast for a stated period or completely stop consuming particular foods.

Definition in Chinese

因为健康、习惯或治疗等原因，有意识地不吃或少吃某些食物。yīn wèi jiàn kāng xí guàn huò zhì liáo děng yuán yīn yǒu yì shí dì bù chī huò shǎo chī mǒu xiē shí wù

Word origin

忌口 (jìkǒu, "avoid certain foods") combines 忌 (jì, "avoid or abstain from") with 口 (kǒu, "mouth"), giving the image of keeping selected foods from the mouth.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English "diet," which often describes an overall eating plan, this verb highlights the foods that are left out or reduced, often with a food name or reason nearby.

Other meanings

  • dietary restrictionnoun
  • avoidverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word