小吃 xiǎochī snack
snack; refreshments
How to remember 小吃: 小 small + 吃 eat = snack.
Characters
How it is used
- A noun for casual snack food, street food, or light dishes - 当地小吃 (dāngdì xiǎochī) local snacks/street food.
- Different from 零食 (língshí, packaged snacks like chips/candy eaten between meals) - 小吃 usually refers to small savory dishes, often sold by vendors or in snack streets.
- Very common in travel and food contexts - 小吃街 (xiǎochījiē) snack street, a popular attraction in Chinese cities.
Example sentences
- 饭前先吃点小吃吧！ Fàn qián xiān chī diǎn xiǎochī ba!Let's eat some snacks before the meal.