馋 (chán) - Gluttonous & greedy

馋Tone 2

chán ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

馋 · chán

Gluttonous;

greedy;

to have a strong craving for food or something desirable.

Gluttonousgreedyto have a strong craving for food or

Usage highlights

GluttonousGreedy for foodCrave delicious foodSalivate over foodGreedy catGreedy ghost

Synonyms

  • 贪— greedy, covetous
  • 饥— hungry
  • 饿— hungry

Antonyms

  • 饱— full, satisfied
  • 厌— disgusted, tired of
  • 节— temperate, abstemious

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is very greedy for food (他很馋).
  • I'm craving some spicy hot pot (我馋麻辣火锅了).
  • She is a foodie who loves to eat (她是个馋嘴的人).
  • The child is eyeing the candy (孩子馋糖果了).

Collocations

  • Gluttonous(嘴馋)
  • Greedy for food(馋嘴)
  • Crave delicious food(馋美食)
  • Salivate over food(馋涎欲滴)
  • Greedy cat(馋猫)
  • Greedy ghost(馋鬼)

Idioms

  • Drooling with greed(馋涎欲滴)
  • Greedy eyes staring(馋眼巴巴)
  • Seeing delicacies makes one greedy(见美食而馋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally viewed as a negative character trait, associated with lack of self-control.
  • In modern contexts, can be used playfully among food lovers to describe food cravings.
  • Often appears in idioms and phrases warning against greed and excessive desire.

FAQ