吃 Stroke Order — How to Write 吃
吃 is written in 6 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 口, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
吃 Radical and Character Components
吃 is a phono-semantic compound: 口 (mouth) carries the meaning, while 乞 indicates the sound.
Radical: 口 + 3 more strokes
吃 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- chī
Meanings of 吃 in Chinese
1
chī吃
To put food or other substances into the mouth and swallow; to ingest; to live on (e.g., a certain diet or income).
我们一起去吃饭吧。
Let's go eat together.
To eliminate, to capture (often used in military or game contexts, or to seize a large portion of something in a competitive sense).
我们成功吃掉了大部分市场份额。
We successfully captured a large portion of the market share.
To smoke; to ingest smoke (e.g., tobacco)
他喜欢吃烟
He likes to smoke.
To experience or feel a certain state or condition, often implying a surprising or difficult outcome.
他的速度之快让我吃惊。
His incredible speed surprised me.
To suffer; to incur (e.g., a loss, criticism, a penalty).
他因为粗心大意，所以吃了很多亏。
He suffered many losses due to his carelessness.
To bear, to endure, or cope with a burden, difficulty, or situation, often implying inability to do so when used negatively.
他最近工作压力太大，有点吃不消了。
He's been under too much work pressure recently and is finding it hard to cope.
The depth to which a ship's hull is submerged in water; draft.
这艘船吃水很深，只能在深水港停泊。
This ship has a very deep draft and can only berth in deep-water ports.
Used as a passive marker, similar to 'by' or 'suffered from', indicating that the subject has experienced an action or consequence.
他吃亏了一次。
He suffered a loss.
To stutter or stammer (as in '口吃').
他小时候有点口吃。
He had a slight stutter as a child.
Common Words and Phrases with 吃
1
to be scorned, looked down upon, or treated with disdain
他因为穿得太普通，在高级餐厅里吃了不少白眼
Because he was dressed too casually, he was largely looked down upon in the upscale restaurant.
2
To be denied entrance; to be left out in the cold.
他满怀希望地去拜访那位专家，却不料吃了个闭门羹，连门都没让他进
He went to visit the expert with high hopes, but unexpectedly he was refused entry and wasn't even allowed inside.
3
Uneatable; cannot stand or bear.
这蘑菇颜色鲜艳，但有毒，吃不得。
This mushroom is brightly colored, but it's poisonous and inedible.
4
To be unable to tolerate or properly digest certain foods, often resulting in digestive discomfort.
我最近肠胃不好，很多东西都吃不服
My stomach hasn't been well lately, so many foods don't agree with me.
5
To be unpopular; not accepted or welcomed; to be ineffective or won't work (in a certain context).
小王性格太直，在新公司里有点吃不开。
Xiao Wang's personality is too straightforward, so he's not very well-received in the new company.
6
Cannot eat a particular food, either because one dislikes it or it doesn't suit one's taste.
我吃不来太辣的食物，肠胃会受不了
I can't handle overly spicy food; my stomach can't take it.
7
Cannot finish eating; cannot bear or tolerate.
这份饭太多了，我一个人吃不了。
This portion is too much; I can't finish it by myself.
8
Land oneself in serious trouble; face serious consequences.
你再这样不听劝告，到时候出了问题，就吃不了兜着走了。
If you keep ignoring advice like this, when problems arise, you'll have to face the consequences.
9
To have nothing to eat; to miss a meal.
他失业了，每天都担心家里人会吃不上饭
He lost his job and worries every day that his family will not have enough to eat.
10
be unable to bear; cannot stand
每天加班到深夜，我有点吃不消了。
Working overtime until late every night, I'm starting to find it too much to handle.
11
Unable to bear or support; cannot sustain.
这么大的工作量，我一个人真的有点吃不住了。
This heavy workload, I really can't sustain it on my own anymore.
12
to be not sure; to not be certain
这道题我有点吃不准答案，还需要再检查一遍。
I'm not quite sure about the answer to this question; I need to double-check it.
13
To eat and drink lavishly or excessively, often for pleasure or in a social setting.
周末大家一起出去吃吃喝喝，放松一下。
On the weekend, everyone went out to eat, drink, and relax.
14
to be jealous in a romantic relationship
他看到女友和别的男生聊天，有点吃醋了
He felt a bit jealous when he saw his girlfriend talking to another boy.
15
A system where everyone receives equal pay or benefits regardless of individual effort or performance, often leading to a lack of motivation.
过去那种‘吃大锅饭’的模式，已经无法适应现代市场竞争的需求了。
The old 'eating from the same big pot' model can no longer meet the demands of modern market competition.
More words with 吃
- bái白chī吃eat for free, sponge
- kǒu口chī吃stuttering, stammering
- tǎo讨chī吃to beg for food
- qǐng请chī吃My treat, It's on me
- nán难chī吃tastes bad; unpalatable
- hú胡chī吃hǎi海hē喝to eat and drink excessively, to gorge oneself
- chī吃cǎo草eat grass, graze
- chī吃fàn饭to eat, to have a meal
- chī吃wán完finish eating, eat up
- chóng虫chī吃yá牙tooth decay or a carious tooth
- chī吃yào药Take medicine, Be on medication
- chī吃yú鱼Eat fish, Have fish
- duō多chī吃eat more, eat a lot
- hǎo好chī吃Delicious, Tasty
- xiǎo小chī吃snack, street food
- ài爱chī吃love to eat, fond of eating
- chī吃bǎo饱full, satiated
- chī吃diào掉eat up, devour
- chī吃jīng惊Surprised, Astonished
- chī吃kuī亏to suffer a loss, to be at a disadvantage
Idioms with 吃
- chī吃chuān穿yòng用dù度daily living expenses
- chī吃féi肥diū丢shòu瘦take the best, leave the worst
- chī吃hē喝lā拉sā撒daily physiological needs
- chī吃hē喝piáo嫖dǔ赌dissolute life of wine, women, and gambling
- chī吃hē喝wán玩lè乐indulge in eating, drinking, playing, and enjoyment
- chī吃kǔ苦nài耐láo劳hardworking and able to endure hardships
- chī吃lǐ里pá扒wài外betray one's own for outsiders
- chī吃lǐ里pá爬wài外betray one's own for outside gain
- chī吃sì四fāng方fàn饭adaptable and resourceful, make a living anywhere
- chī吃xiàn现chéng成fàn饭enjoy ready-made benefits without working
- chī吃xiāng香hē喝là辣live a life of luxury
- chī吃yǎ哑ba巴kuī亏suffer a silent loss
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Open the tool →Questions about 吃
What does 吃 mean in Chinese?
吃 (chī) means “To eliminate” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 吃?
吃 is pronounced chī in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 吃 have?
吃 has 6 strokes.
How do you write 吃?
吃 is written in 6 strokes, starting from the radical 口. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 吃?
The radical of 吃 is 口, and 吃 is a phono-semantic compound.
