很好吃
hěn hǎochī
Delicious
很好吃 (hěn hǎochī) is the most common and natural way to say "delicious" or "tastes good" when referring to food in Mandarin Chinese. It's suitable for almost any situation.
What does 很好吃 (hěn hǎochī) mean?
很好吃 (hěn hǎochī) means “delicious” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “very good eat.”
When to use it
Neutral and widely used. You can also just say 好吃 (hǎochī) for a more direct or enthusiastic "delicious," especially with friends or children. For a more formal or literary "delicious," especially in writing or advertising, use 美味 (měiwèi). If something is just "tasty" or "not bad," you can say 味道不错 (wèidào bùcuò).
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “hun-HOW-chur.” The “很” (hěn) is a third tone, but when followed by another third tone “好” (hǎo), it often shifts to a rising tone, so it's pronounced “hén hǎochī.” The “吃” (chī) is a first tone.
Other ways to say it
- 好吃hǎochīdelicious (direct/casual)
- 美味měiwèidelicious (formal/literary)
- 味道不错wèidao bùcuòtastes good (lit. 'taste not bad')
Examples
这个菜很好吃。
zhège cài hěn hǎochī.
This dish is delicious.
你做的饭真好吃！
nǐ zuòde fàn zhēn hǎochī!
The meal you made is really delicious!
这家餐厅的甜点很美味。
zhè jiā cāntīngde tiándiǎn hěn měiwèi.
This restaurant's dessert is very delicious/tasty.
Pro tip: Although 很好吃 literally means "very good to eat," the 很 (hěn) here often just serves to make the phrase sound more natural and doesn't always imply "very, very." It's common to say 很好吃 even if something is just "good." Also, remember that 好吃 is only for food; for drinks, use 好喝 (hǎohē).
Related phrases
好 · Good中国菜 · China food奶酪 · Cheese
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