hǎochī: 好吃 - Delicious, Tasty, Good to Eat
Quick Summary
Keywords: 好吃, haochi, hǎochī, delicious in Chinese, tasty in Chinese, how to say food is good in Chinese, good to eat, 好吃 vs 好喝, Chinese food vocabulary, HSK 1 vocabulary.
Summary: Learn how to say “delicious” in Chinese with
好吃 (hǎochī), one of the most essential words for any food lover. This comprehensive guide breaks down what
好吃 means, its cultural importance, and how to use it in daily conversation. Discover the crucial difference between
好吃 (for food) and
好喝 (for drinks), and explore related Chinese food vocabulary to make your descriptions of food sound truly authentic.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): hǎo chī
Part of Speech: Adjective
HSK Level: HSK 1
Concise Definition: Good to eat; delicious; tasty.
In a Nutshell: 好吃 (hǎochī) is the most common and direct way to say that food tastes good in Mandarin Chinese. It's a simple, versatile word used in almost any informal situation, from complimenting a home-cooked meal to praising a dish at a restaurant. It literally combines “good” (好) and “eat” (吃), making its meaning very intuitive.
Character Breakdown
好 (hǎo): This character means “good” or “well.” It's a compound character showing a woman/mother (女) next to a child (子). In traditional Chinese culture, the combination of a mother and child was considered a symbol of goodness, completeness, and fortune.
吃 (chī): This character means “to eat.” It features the “mouth” radical (口) on the left, clearly indicating that the action involves the mouth. The right side (乞) provides the phonetic component.
Together, 好吃 (hǎochī) literally means “good to eat,” a straightforward and logical construction for the concept of “delicious.”
Cultural Context and Significance
Food is arguably the heart of Chinese culture. It's a medium for socializing, showing love, celebrating festivals, and conducting business. Consequently, being able to talk about food is a fundamental social skill.
好吃 (hǎochī) is the cornerstone of this food-centric communication. While an English speaker might use a range of words like “tasty,” “good,” “great,” or reserve “delicious” for something truly exceptional, 好吃 is the standard, everyday compliment. It's used far more frequently and casually than its English equivalent, “delicious.”
A key cultural interaction is a host asking a guest, “好吃吗？ (hǎochī ma?)” - “Is it delicious?”. This is more than a simple question; it's a gesture of hospitality, care, and a way to share the joy of the meal. Responding with a heartfelt “好吃！” is a crucial way to show appreciation and respect. This simple exchange reinforces social bonds, a concept central to Chinese social dynamics.
Practical Usage in Modern China
好吃 (hǎochī) is extremely common in everyday, informal speech. It's the go-to adjective for food.
– As a Statement —
You can use it as a simple exclamation or in a full sentence, often preceded by an adverb like 很 (hěn) - very, 真 (zhēn) - really, or 太 (tài) - so/too.
`这个菜好吃。` (Zhège cài hǎochī.) - This dish is tasty.
`饺子真好吃！` (Jiǎozi zhēn hǎochī!) - The dumplings are really delicious!
`你做的饭太好吃了！` (Nǐ zuò de fàn tài hǎochī le!) - The meal you cooked is so delicious!
– As a Question —
To ask if something is good, you simply add the question particle 吗 (ma) or use the “A-not-A” structure (好吃不好吃).
– To Ask for Recommendations —
You can use 好吃 to ask for recommendations at a restaurant or when talking about food.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
这家餐厅的牛肉面真好吃！
Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de niúròu miàn zhēn hǎochī!
English: The beef noodles at this restaurant are really delicious!
Analysis: A common, enthusiastic compliment about a specific dish at a restaurant. 真 (zhēn) adds emphasis.
Example 2:
A: 你妈妈做的菜好吃吗？ B: 好吃，特别好吃！
Pinyin: A: Nǐ māma zuò de cài hǎochī ma? B: Hǎochī, tèbié hǎochī!
English: A: Is the food your mom makes delicious? B: Yes, it's especially delicious!
Analysis: This demonstrates the question form with 吗 (ma) and a typical, positive response using 特别 (tèbié) for “especially.”
Example 3:
我觉得这个点心不好吃，有点太甜了。
Pinyin: Wǒ juéde zhège diǎnxīn bù hǎochī, yǒudiǎn tài tián le.
English: I don't think this snack is very good; it's a bit too sweet.
Analysis: This shows the negative form, 不好吃 (bù hǎochī), used to express that something tastes bad.
Example 4:
如果你想吃好吃的，就应该去那家新开的四川饭馆。
Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng chī hǎochī de, jiù yīnggāi qù nà jiā xīn kāi de Sìchuān fànguǎn.
English: If you want to eat something delicious, you should go to that newly opened Sichuan restaurant.
Analysis: Here, 好吃 functions as an adjective modifying a noun that is omitted but understood (`好吃的东西` - delicious things).
Example 5:
请问，你们店里什么菜最好吃？
Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, nǐmen diàn lǐ shénme cài zuì hǎochī?
English: Excuse me, what is the most delicious dish in your restaurant?
Analysis: A very practical sentence for a learner to use when ordering food. 最 (zuì) means “most.”
Example 6:
这可能是我吃过的最好吃的汉堡！
Pinyin: Zhè kěnéng shì wǒ chī guo de zuì hǎochī de hànbǎo!
English: This might be the most delicious hamburger I've ever eaten!
Analysis: A great example of a superlative sentence structure: `(subject) + 是 + (person) + 吃过的 + 最 + (adjective) + 的 + (noun)`.
Example 7:
虽然这个菜的样子有点奇怪，但是挺好吃的。
Pinyin: Suīrán zhège cài de yàngzi yǒudiǎn qíguài, dànshì tǐng hǎochī de.
English: Although this dish looks a bit strange, it's quite tasty.
Analysis: 挺 (tǐng)…的 (de) is a common structure meaning “quite” or “rather.”
Example 8:
小孩子们都喜欢吃好吃的零食。
Pinyin: Xiǎo háizi men dōu xǐhuān chī hǎochī de língshí.
English: All the little kids like to eat tasty snacks.
Analysis: Here 好吃 directly modifies the noun 零食 (língshí) - snacks.
Example 9:
你觉得是米饭好吃还是面条好吃？
Pinyin: Nǐ juéde shì mǐfàn hǎochī háishì miàntiáo hǎochī?
English: Do you think rice is more delicious or noodles are more delicious?
Analysis: Shows how to use 好吃 in a comparative question using 还是 (háishì) - “or.”
Example 10:
我不饿，我就是想吃点好吃的。
Pinyin: Wǒ bù è, wǒ jiùshì xiǎng chī diǎn hǎochī de.
English: I'm not hungry, I just want to eat something tasty.
Analysis: This perfectly captures the feeling of craving something delicious for the sake of flavor, not hunger.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The #1 Mistake: Using 好吃 for Drinks
The most common mistake for beginners is using 好吃 (hǎochī) to describe drinks. Because it literally means “good to eat,” it can only be used for solid food that you chew.
For drinks (water, soda, juice, tea, coffee, soup), you must use the word 好喝 (hǎohē), which means “good to drink.”
Incorrect: 这个果汁很好吃。 (Zhège guǒzhī hěn hǎochī.)
Correct: 这个果汁很好喝。 (Zhège guǒzhī hěn hǎohē.) - This juice is delicious (to drink).
Correct: 这个蛋糕很好吃。 (Zhège dàngāo hěn hǎochī.) - This cake is delicious (to eat).
Frequency vs. “Delicious”
Remember that 好吃 is used more casually and frequently than the English word “delicious.” While you might save “delicious” for a truly special meal, Chinese speakers use 好吃 for anything that simply tastes good, much like an English speaker might say “This is tasty” or “This is good.”
好喝 (hǎohē) - Good to drink. The direct counterpart to
好吃 for all liquids.
难吃 (nánchī) - Tastes bad; “difficult to eat.” The direct antonym of
好吃.
美味 (měiwèi) - Delicious; scrumptious. A more formal or literary synonym for
好吃. You'll often see it in writing, on menus, or in advertising.
可口 (kěkǒu) - Tasty; palatable. Literally “can/able to mouth.” It implies something is pleasant and easy to eat. Also common in marketing.
香 (xiāng) - Fragrant; aromatic; smells good. Often used to describe food that has a wonderful aroma, which implies it also tastes good (e.g., “这个菜真香!”).
味道 (wèidào) - Flavor; taste. A neutral noun. You can say `味道很好 (wèidào hěn hǎo)` which is similar to saying `很好吃 (hěn hǎochī)`.
下饭 (xiàfàn) - Goes well with rice. A very specific and culturally rich compliment for a savory dish, implying its flavor is so good it makes you eat a lot of plain rice.