吃chī

吃

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简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified form (簡體). 吃 (chī, "to eat") combines the mouth radical 口 with 乞, the old form of the character for "to ask" — together suggesting a person opening wide to receive food. This clever composition has remained largely unchanged since its Bronze Age origins, making it instantly recognizable to modern readers.

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Shuowen

吃. The oracle bone depicts a mouth (口) containing a small grain or food morsel, picturing the act of consuming food. This direct representation gave the character its core meaning of 'to eat', which remains its primary sense in modern Chinese.

Pinyin

chī· HSK 1· Radical 口

吃chī

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin