What is the difference between 喫 and 吃?

喫 is the classical and traditional form, while 吃 is the modern standard simplified character. Both mean 'to eat', but 吃 is used in contemporary Mandarin.

Is 喫 commonly used in names?

No, 喫 is rarely used in personal names due to its strong association with basic consumption and potential negative connotations in compounds like 喫虧 (suffer a loss).

What are some positive name pairings with 喫?

Given its rare usage in names, careful pairing is essential. Consider characters that emphasize positive consumption or endurance.

喫Tone 1

chī ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

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喫 · chī

To eat;

to consume (food, drink);

to suffer or endure;

to absorb or take in;

to exhaust or use up.

To eatto consume (food, drink)to suffer or endure

Usage highlights

To eat a mealTo suffer a lossTo be shockedTo bear hardshipTo consume fuelTo receive a blow

Synonyms

吃— To eat (standard simplified form)
食— To eat; food
餐— To eat; meal

Antonyms

吐— To vomit; to spit out
嘔— To vomit

Usage & contexts

Examples

He eats a meal (喫飯).
She enjoys eating snacks (喫零食).
They suffered a loss (喫虧).
This car consumes a lot of fuel (喫油).

Collocations

To eat a meal(喫飯)
To suffer a loss(喫虧)
To be shocked(喫驚)
To bear hardship(喫苦)
To consume fuel(喫油)
To receive a blow(喫拳頭)

Idioms

To suffer a loss and keep silent(喫啞巴虧)
To rely on one's own strength(自食其力)
To be unable to bear the hardship(喫不消)

Cultural background

FAQ

喫 is a classical and regional variant for 'to eat', more commonly used in historical texts and certain Chinese dialects.
In modern standard Mandarin, 吃 is the standard simplified character for 'to eat', while 喫 is considered a variant form.
The character appears in many compound words related to consumption, endurance, and experience.

喫 (chī) - To eat & to consume (food, drink)