食 shí / sì — animal feed; eat; food; to feed
我们要养成健康的饮食习惯。Wǒ men yào yǎng chéng jiàn kāng de yǐn shí xí guàn.We should develop healthy eating habits.
Common words: 食物 (shí wù)、食品 (shí pǐn)、美食 (měi shí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "food"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "food", including 食 (shí / sì), 饭 (fàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "food" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 食 (shí / sì), 饭 (fàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shí, sì, fàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 食 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 食 shí / sìanimal feed; eat; food; to feedUseful words: 食物, 食品
- 饭 fànfood; cuisine; cooked rice; mealUseful words: 吃饭, 晚饭
Common words for these 2 "food" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 食 (shí / sì) — so "food" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "food".
饭 fàn — food; cuisine; cooked rice; meal
我们一家人围坐在一起吃饭。Wǒ men yì jiā rén wéi zuò zài yì qǐ chī fàn.Our family sits together around the table to eat.
Common words: 吃饭 (chī fàn)、晚饭 (wǎn fàn)、饭店 (fàn diàn)
All 2 characters
Open 食、饭 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.