Is 噉 commonly used in modern Chinese?

噉 is primarily used in Cantonese and other southern dialects. In standard Mandarin, 吃 is the preferred character for 'to eat'.

What is the difference between 噉 and 吃?

噉 is dialectal (especially Cantonese), while 吃 is standard Mandarin. They mean the same thing but are used in different linguistic contexts.

Can 噉 be used in personal names?

噉 is rarely used in personal names as it refers to the basic action of eating and lacks the poetic or auspicious qualities typically sought in Chinese names.

噉Tone 4

dàn ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

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噉 · dàn

To eat;

to consume food;

(dialectal) to have a meal.

To eatto consume food(dialectal) to have a meal.

Usage highlights

To eat a mealTo eat fruitTo eat togetherTo eat breakfastTo eat snacksTo eat dinner

Synonyms

吃— to eat (standard Mandarin)
食— to eat (literary/classical Chinese)

Antonyms

吐— to vomit
呕— to regurgitate

Usage & contexts

Examples

Let's go eat (去噉饭).
He is eating an apple (噉苹果).
Have you eaten yet? (你噉咗饭未呀?).
We ate at a restaurant (我哋喺餐厅噉饭).

Collocations

To eat a meal(噉饭)
To eat fruit(噉生果)
To eat together(一齐噉)
To eat breakfast(噉早餐)
To eat snacks(噉零食)
To eat dinner(噉晚饭)

Idioms

To eat and drink one's fill(大噉一顿)
To eat without speaking(噉而不言)
To eat like a wolf(狼吞虎噉)

Cultural background

FAQ

Primarily used in Cantonese and other southern Chinese dialects as a colloquial term for eating.
Less common in formal Mandarin contexts where 吃 is preferred.
Reflects regional linguistic diversity in Chinese vocabulary for basic actions.

噉 (dàn) - To eat & to consume food