# How to say delicious in Chinese URL: https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/delicious-in-chinese/ Updated: 2026-11-05 Delicious in Chinese is 好吃 (hǎo chī). It means “good to eat”. For drinks, say 好喝 (hǎo hē, good to drink). Cooks and hosts often ask 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma, is it tasty)? while you eat. 好吃 (hǎo chī) is the answer they hope for. ## The phrase **好吃** (hǎo chī): Tasty Pinyin is written the way the words are said, tone changes included, the same as in the game. ### What it means 好吃 (hǎo chī) means “tasty” or “delicious”. 好 (hǎo) is “good” and 吃 (chī) is “eat”. Use it for any food, from a street snack to a home-cooked meal. Chinese uses a different word for each kind of “nice”: - Food is 好吃 (hǎo chī, good to eat). - Drinks are 好喝 (hǎo hē, good to drink). - Something nice to look at is 好看 (hǎo kàn, good to look at). ### How to say it Say hǎo chī. hǎo dips low. chī is high and level. ch is close to the “ch” in “church”, with the tongue curled back a little. ## When to use it ### When someone asks if it is tasty Cooks and hosts ask 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma)? while you eat. Answer 好吃 (hǎo chī). 很好吃 (hěn hǎo chī, very tasty) or 真好吃 (zhēn hǎo chī, really tasty) sounds warmer. ### At a family meal Saying the food is good is part of being a guest. Hosts often answer by putting more food in your bowl. ### About a drink For tea, coffee, soy milk or beer, say 好喝 (hǎo hē). A host who poured your tea will be pleased. ## Other ways to say it Stronger and opposite versions, all from the game. - **很好吃** (hěn hǎo chī): Very tasty - When: A little more than 好吃 (hǎo chī). A good answer when a driver asks if you like Chinese food. - **真好吃！** (zhēn hǎo chī!): Really tasty! - When: It sounds more natural right after the first bite. - **好喝** (hǎo hē): Tasty - When: Use it for drinks: tea, coffee, soy milk, beer. - **不好吃** (bù hǎo chī): Not tasty - When: It is blunt and can hurt the cook. Most people do not say it to the person who made the food. ## What people say back - **好吃** (hǎo chī): Tasty - When: The noodle shop owner asks 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma)? while you eat. - They may say: **好吃就好！** (hǎo chī jiù hǎo!): If it's tasty, that's good! (She is happy.) - **不好吃** (bù hǎo chī): Not tasty - When: Same question, different answer. - They may say: **啊？不好吃啊……** (á? bù hǎo chī a……): Huh? Not tasty…? (She looks hurt.) - **其实很好吃** (qí shí hěn hǎo chī): In fact, it’s very tasty - When: You change your mind after saying it was not good. - They may say: **哎哟，吓死我了！好吃就多吃点！** (āi yō, xià sǐ wǒ le! hǎo chī jiù duō chī diǎn!): Oh! You scared me to death! If it's tasty, eat more! - **很好吃** (hěn hǎo chī): Very tasty - When: A driver asks if you like Chinese food. - They may say: **好吃吧？朋友家的菜更好吃！** (hǎo chī ba? péng you jiā de cài gèng hǎo chī!): Tasty, right? Food at a friend’s home is even tastier! ## Common mistakes ### Using the food word for drinks 好吃 (hǎo chī) is only for food. For tea, coffee or beer, say 好喝 (hǎo hē). ### Telling the cook it is not good Saying 不好吃 (bù hǎo chī) to the person who made the food is blunt, as it is in English. In the game the noodle shop owner is clearly hurt. ### Expecting the meal to end At a family table, saying 好吃 (hǎo chī) often gets you more food. When you have had enough, say 吃饱了 (chī bǎo le, I’m full). ## Where it comes up in the game ### The noodle shop The owner asks 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma)? while you eat your beef noodles. Say 好吃 (hǎo chī) and she is pleased. Say 不好吃 (bù hǎo chī) and she is hurt. You can then take it back with 其实很好吃 (qí shí hěn hǎo chī, in fact, it’s very tasty), and she is relieved, or say it really is not good. Then she asks about your drink. You answer 好喝 (hǎo hē) or 不好喝 (bù hǎo hē, not tasty). ### Breakfast and the night market You say 好吃 (hǎo chī) after your first breakfast at a street stall. At the night market a friend asks 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma)? about the stinky tofu you just tried. ### Lunch with a family You learn 真好吃 (zhēn hǎo chī) at a home-cooked dumpling lunch. The grandmother answers 好吃就好 (hǎo chī jiù hǎo, good, as long as it’s tasty)! and keeps serving. ## Questions ### How do you say delicious in Chinese? Delicious in Chinese is 好吃 (hǎo chī). It means “good to eat”. Stronger versions are 很好吃 (hěn hǎo chī, very tasty) and 真好吃 (zhēn hǎo chī, really tasty). ### How do you say a drink is good in Chinese? For drinks, say 好喝 (hǎo hē). It means “good to drink”. 好吃 (hǎo chī) is only for food. ### What does 好吃吗 mean? 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma)? means “is it tasty?”. Cooks, hosts and friends ask it while you eat. The usual answer is 好吃 (hǎo chī, tasty). ### How do you say not tasty in Chinese? Not tasty in Chinese is 不好吃 (bù hǎo chī). It is blunt, so most people do not say it to the person who cooked. ### Why do Chinese hosts keep asking if the food is good? Chinese hosts ask 好吃吗 (hǎo chī ma, is it tasty)? to look after their guest. If you say yes, they usually offer you more food. ### Does 好 change its tone in 好吃? 好 (hǎo) keeps its own tone in 好吃 (hǎo chī). It would only change before another dipping tone, and chī is high and level. ## Related pages - [How to say I’m full in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-am-full-in-chinese/): What to say when your bowl keeps being refilled, why you may need to say it twice, and how to say “enough”. - [How to say cheers in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/cheers-in-chinese/): The word for cheers, what it means word for word, how a toast goes at a Chinese meal, and how to keep your glass small. - [How to say no spicy in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/no-spicy-in-chinese/): What to answer when a cook asks if you want it spicy: none, a little or extra, and how to ask whether a dish is spicy. - [Chinese for meeting your partner’s family](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/meeting-chinese-partners-family/): Bringing a gift, greeting the parents and grandparents, making dumplings, and saying you are full.