吃 (chī) can mean “to eat”, but a compound containing it may have a different meaning.
Verified vocabulary and pronunciation#
CC-CEDICT lists eating and consuming among the meanings of 吃. Its entries distinguish 吃饭, having a meal or making a living; 吃亏, suffering a loss or being at a disadvantage; and 吃香, being popular or in demand. Translating each character separately does not recover every compound’s meaning.
| Word | Reading | Selected meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 吃饭 | chī fàn | have a meal |
| 吃亏 | chī kuī | suffer a loss |
| 吃香 | chī xiāng | be in demand |
Practice and interpretation#
Read each compound as a complete vocabulary item. Then write a short example for one meaning and have it checked by a proficient speaker. Use the dictionary entry to distinguish a literal food context from a figurative expression. This is an editorial study exercise, not evidence of an ancient cultural belief.
References and lexical-data licence#
Lexical entries are adapted and selected from CC-CEDICT contributors, distributed by MDBG, release retrieved 23 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Meanings are abridged and numbered pinyin is converted to tone marks. Practice instructions are newly written.