hek3吃

Jyutpinghek3

Yalehek

Common

Definition

To eat; to consume food by swallowing.

colloquialfooddaily actions

How it's used

Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 食 instead of 吃 in daily conversation. Using 吃 can sound overly formal, literary, or like a direct translation from Mandarin. It is a versatile verb that extends beyond just food, often used for things like consuming resources or taking a hit.

Related words

see alsojam2飲yámsee alsosik6 faan6食飯sikh fanh

Common phrases

sik6食aan3晏

to have lunch

sik6食siu1宵je2夜

to have a late night snack

sik6食baau2飽

to be full

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use 吃 because they see it in written Chinese, but it sounds unnatural in spoken Cantonese. Always stick to 食 to sound like a local.