Chapter 2 / Part 3

食 shí Food

The shumianyu equivalent for the verb 吃 chī is "食 shí."

In spoken Chinese, the verb 吃 chī is usually followed by an object, for example, 吃饭 chīfàn, 吃东西 chī dōngxī.

The character 食 shí is the radical of the character 饭 fàn, "rice, meal."

米饭 mǐfàn "cooked rice," is a spoken word.

If you go to a Chinese restaurant, you will ask for 一碗米饭 yīwǎn mǐfàn (a bowl of cooked rice) rather than 一碗米食 yīwǎn mǐshí.

餐 cān is the more formal term for fàn as suggested in the phrase: 一日三餐 yīrìsāncān: three meals a day.

吃 chī, eat	食 shí, food 美食 měí shí, gourmet food 速食 sù shí, fast food 狗食 gǒu shí, dog food 米食 mǐ shí, foods made with rice 面食 miàn shí, foods made with flour
饭 fàn, meal	餐 cān, meal 餐厅 cāntīng, restaurant 餐盘 cānpán, plates 餐馆 cānguǎn, restaurant 餐巾纸 cānjīnzhǐ, paper napkins 餐桌 cānzhuō, dining table 早餐 zǎocān, breakfast 西餐 xīcān, western food 中餐 zhōngcān, lunch or Chinese food 晚餐 wǎncān, dinner (All of these words, though formed with the character 餐 cān, are found in both spoken and written Chinese.)
喝 hē, drink	饮 yǐn, drink 饮水 yǐnshuǐ, drink water 饮酒 yǐnjiǔ, drink alcohol 牛饮 niúyǐn, drink a lot 饮料 yǐnliào, drink (noun) 冷饮 lěngyǐn, cold drink 热饮 rèyǐn, hot drink 饮食习惯 yǐnshíxíguàn, dietary habits