喫〔吃〕 {chī}

1. to eat
2. to consume
3. to eat at (a cafeteria etc)
4. to eradicate
5. to destroy
6. to absorb
7. to suffer
8. to stammer (Taiwan pr. for this sense is [ji2])

吃 hek³ {chī}

1. to eat
2. to consume
3. to eat at (a cafeteria etc)
4. to eradicate
5. to destroy
6. to absorb
7. to suffer
8. to stammer (Taiwan pr. for this sense is [ji2])

吃口 gat⁶ hau² {chī kǒu}

Stammer

喫飯〔吃饭〕 hek³ faan⁶ {chī fàn}

eat rice, have meals

吃香 hek³ hoeng¹ {chī xiāng}

(noun) In high demand

吃煙〔-烟〕 hek³ jin¹ {chī yān}

to smoke

吃飽〔-饱〕 hek³ baau² {chī bǎo}

to eat one's fill

吃布 hek³ bou³ {chī bù}

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

吃請〔-请〕 hek³ cing² {chī qǐng}

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

吃醋 hek³ cou³ {chī cù}

to feel jealous

吃穿 hek³ cyun¹ {chī chuān}

food and clothing

吃掉 hek³ diu⁶ {chī diào}

1. to eat up
2. to consume

吃刀 hek³ dou¹ {chī dāo}

penetration of a cutting tool

吃飯〔-饭〕 hek³ faan⁶ {chī fàn}

1. to have a meal
2. to eat
3. to make a living

吃法 hek³ faat³ {chī fǎ}

1. way of eating
2. how something is eaten
3. how a dish is prepared
4. the way a dish is to be cooked

吃貨〔-货〕 hek³ fo³ {chī huò}

1. chowhound
2. foodie
3. a good-for-nothing

吃苦 hek³ fu² {chī kǔ}

to bear hardships

吃緊〔-紧〕 hek³ gan² {chī jǐn}

1. in short supply
2. dire
3. tense
4. critical
5. hard-pressed
6. important

吃驚〔-惊〕 hek³ ging¹ {chī jīng}

1. to be startled
2. to be shocked
3. to be amazed

吃香 hek³ hoeng¹ {chī xiāng}

very popular

吃喝 hek³ hot³ {chī hē}

1. to eat and drink
2. food and drink

吃人 hek³ jan⁴ {chī rén}

1. exploitative
2. oppressive

吃油 hek³ jau⁴ {chī yóu}

1. (of food) to absorb oil
2. (of a vehicle) to guzzle fuel

吃藥〔-药〕 hek³ joek⁶ {chī yào}

to take medicine

吃完 hek³ jyun⁴ {chī wán}

to finish eating

吃虧〔-亏〕 hek³ kwai¹ {chī kuī}

1. to suffer losses
2. to come to grief
3. to lose out
4. to get the worst of it
5. to be at a disadvantage
6. unfortunately

吃力 hek³ lik⁶ {chī lì}

1. to entail strenuous effort
2. to toil at a task
3. strenuous
4. laborious
5. strain

吃味 hek³ mei⁶ {chī wèi}

1. to be jealous
2. to envy

吃奶 hek³ naai⁵ {chī nǎi}

to suck the breast (for milk)

吃水 hek³ seoi² {chī shuǐ}

1. drinking water
2. to obtain water (for daily needs)
3. to absorb water
4. draft (of ship)

吃食 hek³ sik⁶ {chī shí}

1. to eat (of bird or animal)
2. to feed

吃食 hek³ sik⁶ {chī shi}

1. food
2. edibles

吃相 hek³ soeng³ {chī xiàng}

table manners

吃素 hek³ sou³ {chī sù}

to be a vegetarian

吃壞〔-坏〕 hek³ waai⁶ {chī huài}

to get sick because of bad food

吃齋〔-斋〕 hek³ zaai¹ {chī zhāi}

1. to abstain from eating meat
2. to be a vegetarian

吃老本 hek³ lou⁵ bun² {chī lǎo běn}

live off one's past success

吃水線〔--线〕 hek³ seoi² sin³ {chī shuǐ xiàn}

draft marks

吃白食 hek³ baak⁶ sik⁶ {chī bái shí}

1. to eat without paying
2. to freeload

吃不服 hek³ bat¹ fuk⁶ {chī bu fú}

1. not be accustomed to eating sth
2. not be used to certain food

吃不下 hek³ bat¹ haa⁶ {chī bu xià}

1. not feel like eating
2. be unable to eat any more

吃不開〔--开〕 hek³ bat¹ hoi¹ {chī bu kāi}

1. be unpopular
2. won't work

吃不來〔--来〕 hek³ bat¹ loi⁴ {chī bu lái}

not be fond of certain food

吃不消 hek³ bat¹ siu¹ {chī bu xiāo}

1. to be unable to tolerate or endure
2. to find sth difficult to manage

吃不上 hek³ bat¹ soeng⁶ {chī bu shàng}

1. unable to get anything to eat
2. to miss a meal

吃不住 hek³ bat¹ zyu⁶ {chī bu zhù}

to be unable to bear or support

吃錯藥〔-错药〕 hek³ co³ joek⁶ {chī cuò yào}

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

吃槍藥〔-枪药〕 hek³ coeng¹ joek⁶ {chī qiāng yào}

1. (lit.) to have swallowed gunpowder
2. (fig.) to be ablaze with anger
3. ornery
4. snappy

吃大虧〔--亏〕 hek³ daai⁶ kwai¹ {chī dà kuī}

1. to cost one dearly
2. to end disastrously
3. to pay bitterly

吃大戶〔--户〕 hek³ daai⁶ wu⁶ {chī dà hù}

mass seizure of food from landlords during famines before liberation

吃得開〔--开〕 hek³ dak¹ hoi¹ {chī de kāi}

1. to be popular
2. to be getting on well
3. much in demand

吃得消 hek³ dak¹ siu¹ {chī de xiāo}

1. to be able to endure (exertion, fatigue etc)
2. to be able to afford

吃得住 hek³ dak¹ zyu⁶ {chī de zhù}

1. to be able to bear
2. to be able to support

吃豆人 hek³ dau² jan⁴ {chī dòu rén}

Pac-Man (computer game)

吃豆腐 hek³ dau⁶ fu⁶ {chī dòu fu}

1. to eat tofu
2. to flirt
3. to tease

吃到飽〔--饱〕 hek³ dou³ baau² {chī dào bǎo}

all-you-can-eat (buffet) (Tw)

吃苦頭〔--头〕 hek³ fu² tau⁴ {chī kǔ tou}

1. to suffer
2. to suffer for one's actions
3. to pay dearly
4. to burn one's fingers

吃乾飯〔-干饭〕 hek³ gon¹ faan⁶ {chī gān fàn}

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

吃官司 hek³ gun¹ si¹ {chī guān sī}

1. to face legal action
2. to get sued

吃館子〔-馆-〕 hek³ gun² zi² {chī guǎn zi}

1. to eat out
2. to eat at a restaurant

吃閒飯〔-闲饭〕 hek³ haan⁴ faan⁶ {chī xián fàn}

1. to live as a parasite
2. doing nothing to earn one's keep

吃空餉〔--饷〕 hek³ hung¹ hoeng² {chī kòng xiǎng}

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

吃空額〔--额〕 hek³ hung¹ ngaak⁶ {chī kòng è}

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

吃軟飯〔-软饭〕 hek³ jyun⁵ faan⁶ {chī ruǎn fàn}

to live off a woman

吃螺絲〔--丝〕 hek³ lo⁴ si¹ {chī luó sī}

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

吃牢飯〔--饭〕 hek³ lou⁴ faan⁶ {chī láo fàn}

to do prison time (Tw)

吃皇糧〔--粮〕 hek³ wong⁴ loeng⁴ {chī huáng liáng}

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

吃口吃舌 hek³ hau² hek³ sit⁶ {chī kǒu chī shé}

speaking not fluently; a speech disorder; stuttering

吃裡扒外〔-里--〕 hek³ leoi⁵ paa⁴ ngoi⁶ {chī lǐ pá wài}

one who betrays or turned against one's benefactor

吃啞巴虧〔-哑-亏〕 hek³ aa² baa¹ kwai¹ {chī yǎ ba kuī}

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

吃霸王餐 hek³ baa³ wong⁴ caan¹ {chī bà wáng cān}

1. to dine and dash
2. to leave without paying

吃飽撐著〔-饱撑着〕 hek³ baau² caang¹ zoek⁶ {chī bǎo chēng zhe}

having nothing better to do

吃閉門羹〔-闭门-〕 hek³ bai³ mun⁴ gang¹ {chī bì mén gēng}

1. to be refused entrance (idiom)
2. to find the door closed

吃苦耐勞〔---劳〕 hek³ fu² noi⁶ lou⁴ {chī kǔ nài láo}

hardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)

吃後悔藥〔-后-药〕 hek³ hau⁶ fui³ joek⁶ {chī hòu huǐ yào}

(fig.) to regret (doing sth)

吃香喝辣 hek³ hoeng¹ hot³ laat⁶ {chī xiāng hē là}

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

吃喝嫖賭〔---赌〕 hek³ hot³ piu⁴ dou² {chī hē piáo dǔ}

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

吃喝玩樂〔---乐〕 hek³ hot³ wun⁶ lok⁶ {chī hē wán lè}

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

吃虧上當〔-亏-当〕 hek³ kwai¹ soeng⁵ dong³ {chī kuī shàng dàng}

to be taken advantage of

吃裡爬外〔-里--〕 hek³ leoi⁵ paa⁴ ngoi⁶ {chī lǐ pá wài}

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

吃拿卡要 hek³ naa⁴ kaat¹ jiu³ {chī ná qiǎ yào}

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

吃奶之力 hek³ naai⁵ zi¹ lik⁶ {chī nǎi zhī lì}

all one's strength

吃角子老虎 hek³ gok³ zi² lou⁵ fu² {chī jiǎo zi lǎo hu}

slot machine

吃喝拉撒睡 hek³ hot³ laai¹ saat³ seoi⁶ {chī hē lā sā shuì}

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

吃軟不吃硬〔-软---〕 hek³ jyun⁵ bat¹ hek³ ngaang⁶ {chī ruǎn bù chī yìng}

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

吃力不討好〔---讨-〕 hek³ lik⁶ bat¹ tou² hou² {chī lì bù tǎo hǎo}

arduous and thankless task (idiom); strenuous and unrewarding

吃了定心丸 hek³ liu⁵ ding⁶ sam¹ jyun² {chī le dìng xīn wán}

to feel reassured

吃糧不管事〔-粮---〕 hek³ loeng⁴ bat¹ gun² si⁶ {chī liáng bù guǎn shì}

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

吃奶的氣力〔---气-〕 hek³ naai⁵ dik¹ hei³ lik⁶ {chī nǎi de qì lì}

utmost effort

吃奶的力氣〔----气〕 hek³ naai⁵ dik¹ lik⁶ hei³ {chī nǎi de lì qi}

all one's strength

吃飽了飯撐的〔-饱-饭撑-〕 hek³ baau² liu⁵ faan⁶ caang¹ dik¹ {chī bǎo le fàn chēng de}

1. having nothing better to do
2. see 吃飽撐著

吃不了兜著走〔----着-〕 hek³ bat¹ liu⁵ dau¹ zoek⁶ zau² {chī bu liǎo dōu zhe zǒu}

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

吃熊心豹子膽〔-----胆〕 hek³ hung⁴ sam¹ paau³ zi² daam² {chī xióng xīn bào zi dǎn}

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

吃人不吐骨頭〔-----头〕 hek³ jan⁴ bat¹ tou³ gwat¹ tau⁴ {chī rén bù tǔ gǔ tóu}

1. ruthless
2. vicious and greedy

吃一塹，長一智〔--堑-长--〕 hek³ jat¹ cim³ ，zoeng² jat¹ zi³ {chī yī qiàn , zhǎng yī zhì}

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

吃水不忘掘井人 hek³ seoi² bat¹ mong⁴ gwat⁶ zeng² jan⁴ {chī shuǐ bù wàng jué jǐng rén}

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

吃不到的葡萄是酸的 hek³ bat¹ dou³ dik¹ pou⁴ tou⁴ si⁶ syun¹ dik¹ {chī bu dào de pú tao shì suān de}

lit. grapes that one had no chance to eat turns sour, meaning one becoming jealous of missing out on a chance

吃不到葡萄說葡萄酸〔-----说---〕 hek³ bat¹ dou³ pou⁴ tou⁴ syut³ pou⁴ tou⁴ syun¹ {chī bù dào pú tao shuō pú tao suān}

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

吃著碗裡，看著鍋裡〔-着-里--着锅里〕 hek³ zoek⁶ wun² leoi⁵ ，hon³ zoek⁶ wo¹ leoi⁵ {chī zhe wǎn lǐ , kàn zhe guō lǐ}

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

吃得苦中苦，方為人上人〔-------为---〕 hek³ dak¹ fu² zung¹ fu² ，fong¹ wai⁴ jan⁴ soeng⁶ jan⁴ {chī dé kǔ zhōng kǔ , fāng wéi rén shàng rén}

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

吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手短〔-----软-------〕 hek³ jan⁴ gaa¹ dik¹ zeoi² jyun⁵, naa⁴ jan⁴ gaa¹ dik¹ sau² dyun² {chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn}

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