食 Stroke Order — How to Write 食
食 is written in 9 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 食, 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.
食 Radical and Character Components
食 is a pictograph. A dish of food 良 with a lid on top 人.
Radical: 食 + 0 more strokes
食 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- shí
- sì
- yì
Meanings of 食 in Chinese
1
shí食
to eat; food; appetite
他今天食欲不振，什么都不想吃。
He has a poor appetite today and doesn't feel like eating anything.
Food; eatables; provisions; anything to eat.
我妈妈总是准备很多美味的食品给我们吃
My mom always prepares a lot of delicious food for us to eat.
Emolument, salary, or means of livelihood (often referring to income or provisions).
他工作不仅是为了谋食，更是为了实现自己的价值
He works not just for a living, but more to realize his own value.
An eclipse; a phenomenon when a celestial body is obscured by another, such as a solar or lunar eclipse.
昨晚，我们观测到了一次美丽的月食。
Last night, we observed a beautiful lunar eclipse.
2
sì食
To feed (someone), especially a child or infant, often referring to a mother or wet nurse feeding a baby.
她耐心食其子。
She patiently fed her child.
3
yì食
Used as a component in personal names, pronounced 'yì', as in the historical figure 'Li Yiji' (郦食其) from the Han Dynasty.
史书中记载了许多像郦食其一样足智多谋的人物.
History books record many resourceful figures like Li Yiji.
Common Words and Phrases with 食
1
Having little food to eat, barely enough to satisfy hunger, often indicating poverty and hardship.
他们一家人靠着微薄的收入，终日食不充饥，日子过得十分艰苦。
Their family, relying on a meager income, was constantly short of food and struggled to eat their fill, leading a very difficult life.
2
Eating a meal with only one dish, symbolizing simple and frugal eating habits.
他一直保持着简朴的生活方式，即便是招待客人，也常常是食不二味，以示节俭
He has always maintained a simple lifestyle; even when entertaining guests, he often serves only one dish, demonstrating his frugality.
3
To have no appetite or find no pleasure in eating due to anxiety or worry.
考试临近，小明因过度紧张，整日食不甘味，寝不安席。
As exams drew near, Xiao Ming was so overwhelmed with nervousness that he couldn't enjoy his food all day and struggled to sleep peacefully.
4
not have enough food to eat
过去，许多贫困地区的家庭常年食不裹腹，生活异常艰难。
In the past, many families in impoverished areas often went hungry year-round, leading extremely difficult lives.
5
to live a simple and frugal life, not seeking elaborate or delicious food.
李阿姨年轻时生活清苦，所以至今食不求甘，粗茶淡饭便是最好的享受。
When Aunt Li was young, she lived a tough life, so even now she doesn't pursue gourmet food; plain tea and simple meals are her greatest pleasure.
6
too busy to have a decent meal
他工作非常忙碌，常常食不暇饱，只能随便应付一下。
He is extremely busy with work, often too busy to eat properly, so he just makes do with whatever he can.
7
unable to eat or swallow due to extreme worry, anxiety, or sadness
听到坏消息后，她整个人都呆住了，食不下咽，水米不进。
After hearing the bad news, she was completely stunned, unable to swallow food or drink anything.
8
9
To swallow without understanding; to learn without comprehension or application.
他最近心情不好，加上饮食不规律，常常觉得食而不化
He's been in a bad mood recently, and coupled with his irregular eating habits, he often suffers from indigestion.
10
to rigidly adhere to old ideas or traditions without adapting them to new circumstances
他学习古籍只知道死记硬背，对实际问题却毫无见解，真是食古不化。
He only knows how to recite ancient texts by rote, and has no insights into practical problems, truly demonstrating an inflexible adherence to old ways.
11
The esophagus; the tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach.
食管是消化系统的重要组成部分，负责将食物从咽部输送到胃部。
The esophagus is a crucial part of the digestive system, responsible for transporting food from the pharynx to the stomach.
12
Utensils used for eating, such as bowls, chopsticks, cups, and plates.
请把所有的食具都洗干净，我们晚上要用。
Please wash all the eating utensils clean; we will use them tonight.
13
A customer in a restaurant; in ancient times, a guest or retainer living with and serving a noble or official.
那位富商门下有许多食客，为他管理生意，出谋划策
That wealthy merchant had many retainers under his roof, managing his business and offering advice.
14
Grain or food; also used metaphorically for something essential.
阅读是精神的食粮，滋养着我们的心灵。
Reading is spiritual sustenance, nourishing our minds.
15
appetite; capacity for food/eating
她的食量很大，一顿饭能吃三碗米饭。
Her appetite is large; she can eat three bowls of rice in one meal.
16
foodstuff
农场生产的优质食料是动物健康成长的关键
The high-quality foodstuffs produced by the farm are crucial for the healthy growth of animals.
More words with 食
- bǔ捕shí食predation, prey
- mì觅shí食forage
- yǐn饮shí食Food and drink; diet.
- shàn膳shí食meals; daily food; diet
- wèi喂shí食feed, feeding
- zhuó啄shí食To peck at food, as a bird does.
- bǎo饱shí食satiety, fullness
- dàn淡shí食Bland diet, Light diet
- fù副shí食Non-staple food
- jì忌shí食Do not eat, Avoid consumption
- qǐ乞shí食beg for food
- shè摄shí食ingestion
- táng糖shí食sweets, confectionery
- tūn吞shí食to swallow; to devour; to eat up
- cán蚕shí食encroach gradually, nibble away at
- dān箪shí食A basket of food, A simple meal
- liáng粮shi食grain, foodstuff
- tián甜shí食dessert, sweets
- zhū猪shí食pig feed
- huǒ伙shí食food, meals
Idioms with 食
- shí食bù不guǒ果fù腹not have enough food to eat
- shí食bù不chóng重wèi味eat simple meals, live frugally
- shí食qián前fāng方zhàng丈eating lavishly with an extravagant array of dishes
- shí食ròu肉qǐn寝pí皮harbor intense hatred for an enemy
- shí食sù宿xiāng相jiān兼combine eating and lodging
- shí食wú无qiú求bǎo饱eat in moderation
- shí食yán言ér而féi肥break a promise for personal gain
- shí食zhǐ指dà大dòng动eager to eat delicious food
- shí食zū租yī衣shuì税live on rents and taxes
- áo嗷áo嗷dài待shí食wailing in hunger, waiting to be fed
- bāng帮gǒu狗chī吃shí食help a villain do evil
- bāng帮hǔ虎chī吃shí食help a villain do evil
Recommended tools
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →Questions about 食
What does 食 mean in Chinese?
食 (shí) means “to eat” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 食?
食 has 3 pronunciations: shí, sì, yì.
How many strokes does 食 have?
食 has 9 strokes.
How do you write 食?
食 is written in 9 strokes, starting from the radical 食. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 食?
The radical of 食 is 食, and 食 is a pictograph.