吃

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

吃 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 口人弓 (RON), four-corner 6801₇, composition ⿰口乞)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 174, character 17
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3280
• Dae Jaweon: page 387, character 10
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 579, character 5
• Unihan data for U+5403

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声 (xíngshēng)): semantic 口 (kǒu) + phonetic 乞 (OC *kʰɯds, *kʰɯd).

Wikipedia has an article on:

• 吃

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Definitions

吃

1. to eat; to consume

   他很喜歡吃飯。／他很喜欢吃饭。  ―  Tā hěn xǐhuān chīfàn.  ―  He loves to eat.

   你吃飯了嗎？／你吃饭了吗？  ―  Nǐ chīfàn le ma?  ―  Have you eaten? (also a greeting)

   你吃過飯嗎？／你吃过饭吗？  ―  Nǐ chī guò fàn ma?  ―  Have you eaten? (also a greeting)

   儂飯吃過了𠲎？ [Shanghainese, trad.]
   侬饭吃过了𠲎？ [Shanghainese, simp.]

   ⁶non ⁶ve ⁷chiq-ku-leq-vaq [Wugniu]

   Have you eaten? (also a greeting)

   • 排排坐，吃果果。 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

     From: 《排排坐》, traditional children's song

     paai⁴ paai⁴ co⁵, hek³ gwo² gwo².

     Let's sit together and eat fruits.

   喫屎啦你！／吃屎啦你！ [Cantonese]  ―  jaak³ si² laa¹ nei⁵!   ―  Eat shit!

   • 1978, “應該要自愛”, in 許冠傑, 黎彼得 (lyrics), 賣身契 (màishēnqì), performed by 許冠傑:

     誰願意將來餐餐喫白菜 [Cantonese, trad.]
     谁愿意将来餐餐吃白菜 [Cantonese, simp.]

     seoi⁴ jyun⁶ ji³ zoeng¹ loi⁴ caan¹ caan¹ jaak³ baak⁶ coi³

     Who wishes to eat cabbage every meal for the rest of their life?

2. to live on
3. to suffer; to endure; to bear

   吃苦  ―  chīkǔ  ―  to endure hardship

   吃虧／吃亏  ―  chīkuī  ―  to suffer losses, to be at a disadvantage

   他胸口吃了一槍。 [MSC, trad.]
   他胸口吃了一枪。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā xiōngkǒu chī le yī qiāng.

   He took a bullet in the chest.

4. to exhaust; to be a strain

   Chrome吃內存。／Chrome吃内存。  ―  Chrome chī nèicún.  ―  Chrome is a memory hog.

5. to drink
6. (board games) to capture
7. (mahjong) to chow
8. to accept
   • 2023, “我的世界地圖”, 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong] (lyrics), 王菀之 [Ivana Wong] (music)‎performed by 魏浚笙 [Jeffrey Ngai]:

     年輕一輩　如果只吃前人預設那一套　再沒前路 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     年轻一辈　如果只吃前人预设那一套　再没前路 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     nin⁴ hing¹ jat¹ bui³, jyu⁴ gwo² zi² hek³ cin⁴ jan⁴ jyu⁶ cit³ naa⁵ jat¹ tou³, zoi³ mut⁶ cin⁴ lou⁶

     If the younger generation simply accepts the default methods of those who came before, there will be no more future ahead

Usage notes

• In Cantonese, 食 (sik⁶) is the most common term for "eating" and 吔 (jaak³) is considered less polite than the former.
• When playing mahjong, a player may say this word as a call when forming a chow on another player's discard.

Synonyms

• (to eat): 食用 (shíyòng)

• (to drink):

• (to capture):

• (to chow):

Descendants

• Wutunhua: qe
• → Japanese: 吃(チー) (chī)

Compounds

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Definitions

吃

1. to stammer; to stutter; to falter

   口吃  ―  kǒuchī  ―  to stammer, to stutter

Compounds

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Definitions

吃

1. Only used in 吃吃 (qīqī).

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Definitions

吃

1. (Hokkien) Alternative form of 食

   • 看你在過生活　攏是坐著賺躺著吃 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     看你在过生活　拢是坐著赚躺著吃 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 2003, 蔡秋鳳 (Kerris Tsai) (lyricist 李岩修), 爽到你艱苦到我

     khòaⁿ lí leh kòe seng-oa̍h, lóng sī chē-leh thàn tó-teh chia̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     When I look at you living your life, you're always earning your living while sitting and eating while lying down.

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: こち (kochi)
• Kan-on: きつ (kitsu)
• Kun: どもり (domori, 吃り); どもる (domoru, 吃る)

Compounds

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 吃 (MC kj+t).

Affix

吃(きつ) • (kitsu) 

1. stammering, stuttering
2. accepting, complying

Derived terms

See also

• 喫(きつ) (kitsu)