How to Say ‘To eat’ in Traditional Chinese
吃
💬 Usage Tip: [吃] is super common. For food events, you can pair it with the meal: [吃年夜飯] (eat reunion dinner).
🇹🇼 In Taiwan: New Year greetings often revolve around food—asking if you’ve eaten is a friendly, caring vibe in Chinese.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
吃
[chī]
to eat
Basic verb “to eat.” In New Year context you’ll often hear 吃年夜飯 (eat the reunion dinner) and 吃甜甜 (eat sweets for a sweet year).
過年大家一起吃年夜飯，氣氛很熱鬧。
During New Year, everyone eats the reunion dinner together; the atmosphere is lively.
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