Usage of the character 吃

(Tw) (of the police) to bury a crime (i.e. conceal the existence of a criminal case in order to improve crime-solving statistics or in return for a bribe etc)

cèngchī

蹭吃

[蹭吃]

to freeload for food

chīxí

吃席

[吃席]

to attend a banquet (funeral, wedding etc)
(neologism c. 2020) (slang) (jocular) lit. to attend sb's funeral banquet (used to imply that things are going to go badly for sb)

chībù

吃布

[吃布]

to catch on cloth (e.g. of a zip fastener)

chīyóu

吃油

[吃油]

(of food) to absorb oil
(of a vehicle) to guzzle fuel

nánchī

难吃

[難吃]

unpalatable

kěchī

可吃

[可吃]

edible

chīdāo

吃刀

[吃刀]

penetration of a cutting tool

chīkǔ

吃苦

[吃苦]

to bear hardships

chīshi

吃食

[吃食]

food
edibles

chīchuān

吃穿

[吃穿]

food and clothing

tūnchī

吞吃

[吞吃]

to devour

tǎochī

讨吃

[討吃]

to beg for food

chīdiào

吃掉

[吃掉]

to eat up
to consume

chīfǎ

吃法

[吃法]

way of eating
how something is eaten
how a dish is prepared
the way a dish is to be cooked

shēngchī

生吃

[生吃]

to eat raw

chīcǎo

吃草

[吃草]

to graze; to eat grass

chīwán

吃完

[吃完]

to finish eating

chībiě

吃瘪

[吃癟]

(coll.) to suffer a humiliation

chīzhāi

吃斋

[吃齋]

to abstain from eating meat
to be a vegetarian

chīqǐng

吃请

[吃請]

to be a guest at a dinner party
to be wined and dined (as a bribe)

chīfàn

吃饭

[吃飯]

to have a meal
to eat
to make a living

chīxiāng

吃香

[吃香]

popular
in demand
well regarded

hàochī

好吃

[好吃]

to be fond of eating; to be gluttonous

chīcù

吃醋

[吃醋]

to feel jealous

mànmànchī

慢慢吃

[慢慢吃]

Enjoy your meal!
Bon appetit!

chīguānsī

吃官司

[吃官司]

to face legal action; to get sued

chīláofàn

吃牢饭

[吃牢飯]

to do prison time (Tw)

chīdàobǎo

吃到饱

[吃到飽]

(Tw) all-you-can-eat (food)
(fig.) unlimited usage (digital services etc)

chībáishí

吃白食

[吃白食]

to eat without paying
to freeload

chībulái

吃不来

[吃不來]

to be unaccustomed to certain food; to not be keen on certain food

chībuxià

吃不下

[吃不下]

not feel like eating
be unable to eat any more

chībuzhù

吃不住

[吃不住]

to be unable to bear or support

chībùzhǔn

吃不准

[吃不準]

to be unsure about a matter
to be uncertain
to be unable to make sense of sth

chībukāi

吃不开

[吃不開]

be unpopular
won't work

chīdexiāo

吃得消

[吃得消]

to be able to endure (exertion, fatigue etc)
to be able to afford

chīguǎnzi

吃馆子

[吃館子]

to eat out
to eat at a restaurant

chīxiánfàn

吃闲饭

[吃閒飯]

to lead an idle life; to be a loafer

chīyādàn

吃鸭蛋

[吃鴨蛋]

(fig.) to score 0 (on a test, in competition etc)

chībufú

吃不服

[吃不服]

not be accustomed to eating sth
not be used to certain food

chībáifàn

吃白饭

[吃白飯]

to eat plain rice
(fig.) to eat and not pay for it
to sponge off others
to freeload

chīkòng'é

吃空额

[吃空額]

to embezzle by adding to the payroll employees existing in name only

gǒuchīshǐ

狗吃屎

[狗吃屎]

to fall flat on one's face (vulgar)

héchīzú

合吃族

[合吃族]

lit. joint eaters
a restaurant social gathering, esp. organized online among strangers

hēichīhēi

黑吃黑

[黑吃黑]

(of a villain) to do the dirty on another villain

chīkòngxiǎng

吃空饷

[吃空餉]

to embezzle by adding to the payroll employees existing in name only

chībushàng

吃不上

[吃不上]

unable to get anything to eat
to miss a meal

chīgānfàn

吃干饭

[吃乾飯]

(coll.) to be incompetent
useless
good-for-nothing

chīcuòyào

吃错药

[吃錯藥]

(lit.) to have taken the wrong medicine
(fig.) (of one's behavior etc) different than usual
abnormal

xiǎochīdiàn

小吃店

[小吃店]

snack bar
lunch room
CL:家 (jiā)

chīdòurén

吃豆人

[吃豆人]

Pac-Man (computer game)

chīdezhù

吃得住

[吃得住]

to be able to bear
to be able to support

chīdàkuī

吃大亏

[吃大虧]

to cost one dearly
to end disastrously
to pay bitterly

chīhuángliáng

吃皇粮

[吃皇糧]

lit. to eat from government coffers
to serve as a government employee
to live off government money

chīdòufu

吃豆腐

[吃豆腐]

to take liberties with (a woman)
to tease with sexual innuendo
to sexually harass
to take advantage of sb

chīluósī

吃螺丝

[吃螺絲]

(of an actor, announcer etc) to stumble over words (Tw)

chīdàhù

吃大户

[吃大戶]

to plunder the homes of the wealthy for food (in times of famine)
(of sb who has no income) to rely on others
to demand a "contribution" or "loan" from a business or wealthy individual

tānchīguǐ

贪吃鬼

[貪吃鬼]

glutton
chowhound

chīkǔtou

吃苦头

[吃苦頭]

to suffer
to suffer for one's actions
to pay dearly
to burn one's fingers

chīdòudòu

吃豆豆

[吃豆豆]

see 吃豆人 (chīdòurén)

chībuxiāo

吃不消

[吃不消]

to be unable to tolerate or endure
to find sth difficult to manage

chīdekāi

吃得开

[吃得開]

to be popular
to be getting on well
much in demand

shìchīpǐn

试吃品

[試吃品]

food sample

chīruǎnfàn

吃软饭

[吃軟飯]

to live off a woman

chīgōngliáng

吃公粮

[吃公糧]

to be on the government payroll

chīqiāngyào

吃枪药

[吃槍藥]

(lit.) to have swallowed gunpowder
(fig.) to be ablaze with anger
ornery
snappy

chīxiǎozào

吃小灶

[吃小竈]

to be given special treatment
to be treated in a favored way

tānchīzhě

贪吃者

[貪吃者]

glutton

zuòchīshānkōng

坐吃山空

[坐吃山空]

lit. just sitting and eating, one can deplete even a mountain of wealth (idiom)
fig. to spend one's money without generating any income

húchīhǎihē

胡吃海喝

[胡吃海喝]

to eat and drink gluttonously
to pig out

dàchī'èrhē

大吃二喝

[大吃二喝]

to eat and drink extravagantly
to binge

lìngrénchījīng

令人吃惊

[令人吃驚]

to shock
to amaze

chībǎochēngzhe

吃饱撑着

[吃飽撐著]

having nothing better to do

chīnǎizhīlì

吃奶之力

[吃奶之力]

all one's strength

chīlǐpáwài

吃里爬外

[吃裡爬外]

to work against the interests of sb one derives support from
to double-cross one's employer
to bite the hand that feeds you

ruǎnyìngbùchī

软硬不吃

[軟硬不吃]

unmoved by force or persuasion

húchīhǎisāi

胡吃海塞

[胡吃海塞]

to stuff oneself with food

fēnzàochīfàn

分灶吃饭

[分竈吃飯]

"meals prepared at separate stoves", slogan of the program of fiscal decentralization that began in the 1980s in the PRC

chīkuīshàngdàng

吃亏上当

[吃虧上當]

to be taken advantage of

yíngjiātōngchī

赢家通吃

[贏家通吃]

winner takes all

dàchīyījīng

大吃一惊

[大吃一驚]

to have a surprise (idiom); shocked or startled
gobsmacked

méichīméichuān

没吃没穿

[沒吃沒穿]

to be without food or clothing (idiom)
to be very poor

chībìméngēng

吃闭门羹

[吃閉門羹]

to be refused entrance (idiom)
to find the door closed

chīkǔnàiláo

吃苦耐劳

[吃苦耐勞]

hardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)

dàchītèchī

大吃特吃

[大吃特吃]

to gorge oneself with food

chīguāqúnzhòng

吃瓜群众

[吃瓜群眾]

peanut gallery (esp. in online forums)
onlookers who are interested in the spectacle but don't have anything knowledgeable to say about it
(neologism c. 2016)

chīyǎbakuī

吃哑巴亏

[吃啞巴虧]

to be forced to suffer in silence
unable to speak of one's bitter suffering

shěngchījiǎnyòng

省吃俭用

[省吃儉用]

to live frugally

zìtǎokǔchī

自讨苦吃

[自討苦吃]

to ask for trouble (idiom)
to make a rod for one's own back

chīhēpiáodǔ

吃喝嫖赌

[吃喝嫖賭]

to go dining, wining, whoring and gambling
to lead a life of dissipation

zuòchīxiǎngfú

坐吃享福

[坐吃享福]

vegetative existence
to consume passively without doing anything useful

zìzhǎokǔchī

自找苦吃

[自找苦吃]

to bring trouble on oneself

dàchīdàhē

大吃大喝

[大吃大喝]

to eat and drink as much as one likes
to make a pig of oneself

chīhēwánlè

吃喝玩乐

[吃喝玩樂]

to eat, drink and be merry (idiom)
to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure

lǐjiàochīrén

礼教吃人

[禮教吃人]

sufferings brought about by Confucian ethics

chīxiānghēlà

吃香喝辣

[吃香喝辣]

lit. to eat delicious food and drink hard liquor (idiom)
fig. to live well

cèngchīcènghē

蹭吃蹭喝

[蹭吃蹭喝]

to cadge a meal

chīhòuhuǐyào

吃后悔药

[吃後悔藥]

(fig.) to regret (doing sth)

chīnáqiǎyào

吃拿卡要

[吃拿卡要]

dinner invitations, grabbing, obstructing and demanding bribes
all kinds of abuse of power

bāochībāozhù

包吃包住

[包吃包住]

to provide full board

yínchīmǎoliáng

寅吃卯粮

[寅吃卯糧]

lit. eating away next year's food in advance
fig. to dip into the next month's check
live now, pay later

kàncàichīfàn

看菜吃饭

[看菜吃飯]

lit. to eat depending on the dish (idiom)
fig. to act according to actual circumstances

duōchīduōzhàn

多吃多占

[多吃多佔]

taking or eating more than one's due (idiom); greedy and selfish

báichībáihē

白吃白喝

[白吃白喝]

to freeload

chīqīngchūnfàn

吃青春饭

[吃青春飯]

to make the most of one's youthfulness in one's choice of employment (e.g. modeling)

hàochīlǎnzuò

好吃懒做

[好吃懶做]

happy to partake but not prepared to do any work (idiom)
all take and no give

zhēngfēngchīcù

争风吃醋

[爭風吃醋]

to rival sb for the affection of a man or woman
to be jealous of a rival in a love affair

chīdàguōfàn

吃大锅饭

[吃大鍋飯]

lit. to eat from the common pot (idiom)
fig. to be rewarded the same, regardless of performance

chībàwángcān

吃霸王餐

[吃霸王餐]

to dine and dash
to leave without paying

bùshìchīsùde

不是吃素的

[不是吃素的]

not to be trifled with
to be reckoned with

chīlìbùtǎohǎo

吃力不讨好

[吃力不討好]

arduous and thankless task (idiom); strenuous and unrewarding

chīhēlāsāshuì

吃喝拉撒睡

[吃喝拉撒睡]

to eat, drink, shit, piss, and sleep
(fig.) the ordinary daily routine

chīnǎidelìqi

吃奶的力气

[吃奶的力氣]

all one's strength

chīledìngxīnwán

吃了定心丸

[吃了定心丸]

to feel reassured

yǎbachīhuánglián

哑巴吃黄莲

[啞巴吃黃蓮]

no choice but to suffer in silence (idiom)
also written 啞巴吃黃連／哑巴吃黄连
(often precedes 有苦說不出／有苦说不出 (yǒukǔshuōbuchū))

yǎbachīhuánglián

哑巴吃黄连

[啞巴吃黃連]

no choice but to suffer in silence (idiom)
also written 啞巴吃黃蓮／哑巴吃黄莲
(often precedes 有苦說不出／有苦说不出 (yǒukǔshuōbuchū))

chījiǎozilǎohǔ

吃角子老虎

[吃角子老虎]

slot machine

huíjiāchīzìjǐ

回家吃自己

[回家吃自己]

(coll.) (Tw) to get sacked
to be fired

bànzhūchīlǎohǔ

扮猪吃老虎

[扮豬吃老虎]

to play the wolf in sheep's clothing; to disguise oneself as sth harmless in order to lull one's target into letting their guard down

chīfànhuángdìdà

吃饭皇帝大

[吃飯皇帝大]

eating comes first, then comes everything else (idiom) (Tw)

chīliángbùguǎnshì

吃粮不管事

[吃糧不管事]

to eat without working (idiom)
to take one's pay and not care about the rest

chīnǎideqìlì

吃奶的气力

[吃奶的氣力]

utmost effort

chīyìngbùchīruǎn

吃硬不吃软

[吃硬不吃軟]

susceptible to force but not persuasion

chīrénxuèmántou

吃人血馒头

[吃人血饅頭]

to take advantage of others' misfortune (idiom)

chīruǎnbùchīyìng

吃软不吃硬

[吃軟不吃硬]

lit. eats soft food, but refuses hard food (idiom)
amenable to coaxing but not coercion

lǎoniúchīnèncǎo

老牛吃嫩草

[老牛吃嫩草]

lit. an old cow eats young grass (idiom)
fig. a May-December relationship
a romance where the man is significantly older than the woman

chībǎolefànchēngde

吃饱了饭撑的

[吃飽了飯撐的]

having nothing better to do
see 吃飽撐著／吃饱撑着

chīxióngxīnbàozidǎn

吃熊心豹子胆

[吃熊心豹子膽]

to eat bear heart and leopard gall (idiom)
to pluck up some courage

yǎnjingchībīngqílín

眼睛吃冰淇淋

[眼睛吃冰淇淋]

(slang) (Tw) to be checking out the hotties

yīkǒuchīgepàngzi

一口吃个胖子

[一口吃個胖子]

lit. to want to get fat with only one mouthful (proverb)
fig. to try to achieve one's goal in the shortest time possible
to be impatient for success

gǒugǎibùliǎochīshǐ

狗改不了吃屎

[狗改不了吃屎]

lit. a dog can't stop himself from eating shit (idiom)
fig. bad habits are hard to change

chībuliǎodōuzhezǒu

吃不了兜着走

[吃不了兜著走]

lit. if you can't eat it all, you'll have to take it home (idiom)
fig. you'll have to take the consequences

chīrénbùtǔgǔtóu

吃人不吐骨头

[吃人不吐骨頭]

ruthless
vicious and greedy

hǎohànbùchīyǎnqiánkuī

好汉不吃眼前亏

[好漢不吃眼前虧]

a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him (idiom)

hǎomǎbùchīhuítóucǎo

好马不吃回头草

[好馬不吃回頭草]

lit. a good horse doesn't turn around and graze the same patch again (idiom)
fig. once you've moved on, don't go back again (romantic relationship, job etc)
leave the past behind

yīkǒuchībùchéngpàngzi

一口吃不成胖子

[一口吃不成胖子]

lit. you cannot get fat with only one mouthful (proverb)
fig. any significant achievement requires time, effort and persistence

tùzibùchīwōbiāncǎo

兔子不吃窝边草

[兔子不吃窩邊草]

lit. a rabbit never eats the grass beside its own burrow (idiom)
fig. even a scoundrel does not do harm in his immediate neighborhood

chīshuǐbùwàngwājǐngrén

吃水不忘挖井人

[吃水不忘挖井人]

see 吃水不忘掘井人 (chīshuǐbùwàngjuéjǐngrén)

chīyīqiàn,zhǎngyīzhì

吃一堑，长一智

[吃一塹，長一智]

Fall into the moat and you'll be wiser next time (idiom); One only learns from one's mistakes.

chīshuǐbùwàngjuéjǐngrén

吃水不忘掘井人

[吃水不忘掘井人]

Drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it. (idiom)

rùnsìyuè,chīshùyè

闰四月，吃树叶

[閏四月，吃樹葉]

an intercalary fourth month brings food shortages

huòwènsānjiābùchīkuī

货问三家不吃亏

[貨問三家不吃虧]

see 貨比三家不吃虧／货比三家不吃亏 (huòbǐsānjiābùchīkuī)

huòbǐsānjiābùchīkuī

货比三家不吃亏

[貨比三家不吃虧]

shop around first and you won't get ripped off (idiom)

jìngjiǔbùchīchīfájiǔ

敬酒不吃吃罚酒

[敬酒不吃吃罰酒]

lit. to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit (idiom)
fig. to turn down a request only to be forced later to comply with it under pressure

sāngèhéshangméishuǐchī

三个和尚没水吃

[三個和尚沒水吃]

see 三個和尚沒水喝／三个和尚没水喝 (sāngèhéshangméishuǐhē)

huìkūdeháiziyǒutángchī

会哭的孩子有糖吃

[會哭的孩子有糖吃]

lit. the child who cries gets the candy (idiom)
fig. the squeaky wheel gets the grease

xiǎodòngbùbǔdàdòngchīkǔ

小洞不补大洞吃苦

[小洞不補大洞吃苦]

A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); a stitch in time saves nine

xīnjíchībuliǎorèdòufu

心急吃不了热豆腐

[心急吃不了熱豆腐]

hasty men don't get to eat hot tofu (idiom)
one just has to be patient
haste will ruin everything

huìkūdeháiziyǒunǎichī

会哭的孩子有奶吃

[會哭的孩子有奶吃]

lit. a child who cries gets to feed at the breast (idiom)
fig. the squeaky wheel gets the grease

làihámaxiǎngchītiān'éròu

癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉

[癩蛤蟆想吃天鵝肉]

lit. the toad wants to eat swan meat (idiom)
fig. to try to punch above one's weight

kàncàichīfàn,liàngtǐcáiyī

看菜吃饭，量体裁衣

[看菜吃飯，量體裁衣]

lit. to eat depending on the dish, cut cloth according to the body (idiom)
fig. to act according to actual circumstances

chībùdàopútaoshuōpútaosuān

吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸

[吃不到葡萄說葡萄酸]

sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop)
lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them

chībiérénjiáoguòdemóbùxiāng

吃别人嚼过的馍不香

[吃別人嚼過的饃不香]

lit. bread previously chewed by someone has no flavor (idiom)
fig. there's no joy in discovering something if someone else got there first

kàoshānchīshān,kàoshuǐchīshuǐ

靠山吃山，靠水吃水

[靠山吃山，靠水吃水]

lit. the mountain dweller lives off the mountain, the shore dweller lives off the sea (idiom)
fig. to make the best use of local resources
to exploit one's position to advance oneself
to find one's niche
to live off the land

chīzhewǎnlǐ,kànzheguōlǐ

吃着碗里，看着锅里

[吃著碗裡，看著鍋裡]

lit. eyeing what's in the pot as one eats from one's bowl (idiom)
not content with what one already has
(of men, typically) to have the wandering eye

chīzhewǎnlǐ,qiáozheguōlǐ

吃着碗里，瞧着锅里

[吃著碗裡，瞧著鍋裡]

see 吃著碗裡，看著鍋裡／吃着碗里，看着锅里 (chīzhewǎnlǐ,kànzheguōlǐ)

bùgānbùjìng,chīleméibìng

不干不净，吃了没病

[不乾不淨，吃了沒病]

a little dirt never killed anybody (proverb)
a couple of germs won't do you any harm

chīshǐdōugǎnbushàngrèhude

吃屎都赶不上热乎的

[吃屎都趕不上熱乎的]

lit. if you were eating warm shit, it'd be stone cold by the time you finished it (idiom)
fig. (of a person) too slow; can't keep up

sǐle Zhāngtúfū,bùchīhùnmáozhū

死了张屠夫，不吃混毛猪

[死了張屠夫，不吃混毛豬]

lit. just because Zhang the butcher dies, doesn't mean we'll have to eat pork mixed with bristles (idiom)
fig. nobody is indispensable

yǎbachīhuánglián,yǒukǔshuōbuchū

哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出

[啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出]

to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)
unable to speak of one's bitter suffering
sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，有苦說不出／哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出

bùtīnglǎorényán,chīkuīzàiyǎnqián

不听老人言，吃亏在眼前

[不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前]

(idiom) ignore your elders at your peril

chīdékǔzhōngkǔ,fāngwéirénshàngrén

吃得苦中苦，方为人上人

[吃得苦中苦，方為人上人]

one cannot achieve glory and wealth without having been through trials and tribulations (proverb)
no pain, no gain

duānqǐwǎnchīròu,fàngxiàkuàizimàniáng

端起碗吃肉，放下筷子骂娘

[端起碗吃肉，放下筷子罵娘]

lit. to eat meat from one's bowl, then put down one's chopsticks and scold one's mother (idiom)
fig. to complain despite being privileged
to be ungrateful for what one has been given

yòuyàomǎrpǎo,yòuyàomǎrbùchīcǎo

又要马儿跑，又要马儿不吃草

[又要馬兒跑，又要馬兒不吃草]

lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too

chīrénjiādezuǐruǎn,nárénjiādeshǒuduǎn

吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手短

[吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手短]

lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted

yòuyàomǎrhǎo,yòuyàomǎrbùchīcǎo

又要马儿好，又要马儿不吃草

[又要馬兒好，又要馬兒不吃草]

see 又要馬兒跑，又要馬兒不吃草／又要马儿跑，又要马儿不吃草 (yòuyàomǎrpǎo,yòuyàomǎrbùchīcǎo)