Chinese word

馋

Pronunciation

Pinyinchán

Meaning

  • adjectivecraving food

Example

他看到蛋糕就很馋。tā kàn dào dàn gāo jiù hěn chán

He gets a craving for cake when he sees it.

Illustration for 馋 (craving food)

More examples

一闻到烤肉的香味，他就馋得不行。yì wén dào kǎo ròu de xiāng wèi tā jiù chán de bù xíng

Whenever he smells the aroma of grilled meat, he craves food intensely.

Core concept

An eager appetite that reaches for appealing food, whether or not the stomach is empty.

Common phrases

  • 馋得不行chán de bù xíng

    crave food intensely

  • 嘴馋zuǐ chán

    be very fond of food

  • 馋得眼睛发亮chán de yǎn jīng fā liàng

    eyes sparkle at the sight of food

Similar words

贪吃tān chī: Having a strong liking for food and a tendency to eat often or in large amounts.
嘴馋zuǐ chán: Feeling an immediate urge to eat after seeing or hearing about tempting food.

Definition in Chinese

看到或想到食物就控制不住想吃的冲动，用于描述爱吃、对美食有强烈兴趣的人或状态。kàn dào huò xiǎng dào shí wù jiù kòng zhì bú zhù xiǎng chī de chōng dòng yòng yú miáo shù ài chī duì měi shí yǒu qiáng liè xìng qù de rén huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

The food radical in the character marks the word's long-standing connection with eating, while the other component helps represent its sound.

Usage tips

  • English "hungry" often describes an empty stomach, while this word can sound more like a lighthearted pull toward especially tempting food.

Other meanings

  • have a big appetiteadjective

Related words

  • 嘴馋zuǐ chánfood-lovingadjective
  • 馋猫chán māofood lovernoun

Word lists with this word