About
The character 吃, now primarily signifying 'to eat', originated with a distinct meaning related to speech impediments, specifically denoting stuttering, as seen in its composition of the mouth radical 口 paired with the phonetic element 乞. This earlier sense gradually receded as the character was phonetically borrowed to represent the concept of eating, a semantic shift that aligned with the oral action implied by the mouth component. The traditional form 喫, constructed with 口 and the component 契, historically carried the same culinary meaning, though 吃 eventually became the dominant graph. Over time, the semantic scope of 吃 broadened beyond literal consumption to encompass abstract applications, such as enduring a loss or experiencing a sensation, demonstrating how its core association with oral activity facilitated metaphorical extensions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢吃饭。
他每天吃早餐。
我们一起吃午饭吧。
弟弟不喜欢吃蔬菜。
如果你饿了，就吃点东西。
吃饭的时候不要看电视。
我妈妈经常吃健康食品。
为了保持健康，我们应该多吃水果和蔬菜。