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餐 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
餐
cān
meal
HSK 6, n, 16 strokes, radical 食, rank #3313, Hard
餐
cān
to eat
HSK 6, n, 16 strokes, radical 食, rank #3313, Hard
餐
cān
classifier for meals
HSK 6, n, 16 strokes, radical 食, rank #3313, Hard
餐
cān
to eat, to dine; meal, food
HSK 6, n, 16 strokes, radical 食, rank #3313, Hard
cān(can1)can T1
1meal
2to eat
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March 24, 2026
餐cān(can1)
The character 餐 (cān) refers to a meal or food, often used as a noun. It can also serve as a classifier for meals, indicating the action of eating or dining. Commonly found in contexts related to dining, it expresses the idea of sharing food or meals in social settings.
Strokes16Radical食Frequency#3313DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, meals are significant social events, often involving family or friends gathering to share food. The concept of 餐 reflects the importance of dining together, as well as traditional practices like the reunion dinner during festivals.
Memory tip
Imagine a 'can' of food being served at a dining table. The character 餐 resembles a meal being prepared, with the top part suggesting a roof over a table where food is placed, and the bottom part symbolizing the various dishes laid out for a feast.
Meanings of 餐
cān(can1)
1meal
2to eat
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 餐
餐Simplified
16Strokes
食Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#3313Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRC1
Podcast: 餐
Podcast: 餐
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AI study notes for 餐
Quick Contrast
餐 (cān) vs 饭 (fàn) — use 餐 for formal dining contexts, while 饭 is more casual and commonly refers to rice or meals in general.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 餐 with similar words that also pertain to food, like 食 (shí), which means 'to eat' more broadly. 餐 is often used in formal contexts, such as 餐厅 (cān tīng), meaning 'restaurant', while 食 is more casual. Remember to use the proper classifier when discussing meals, as in 一餐 (yī cān) for 'one meal'.
HSK Study Tips
As a word associated with eating and dining, 餐 is relevant for learners focusing on daily life vocabulary in HSK levels 2-3. Students should practice its use in phrases related to meals and integrate it with other food-related vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 餐 in informal contexts where 食 would be more appropriate. For instance, saying '我想吃一餐' (wǒ xiǎng chī yī cān) instead of '我想吃一点' (wǒ xiǎng chī yī diǎn) for 'I want to eat a little bit'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 餐
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The character 餐 (cān) refers to a meal or food, often used as a noun. It can also serve as a classifier for meals, indicating the action of eating or dining. Commonly found in contexts related to dining, it expresses the idea of sharing food or meals in social settings.
When to use 餐
Be careful not to confuse 餐 with similar words that also pertain to food, like 食 (shí), which means 'to eat' more broadly. 餐 is often used in formal contexts, such as 餐厅 (cān tīng), meaning 'restaurant', while 食 is more casual. Remember to use the proper classifier when discussing meals, as in 一餐 (yī cān) for 'one meal'.
餐 or something close to it
餐 (cān) vs 饭 (fàn) — use 餐 for formal dining contexts, while 饭 is more casual and commonly refers to rice or meals in general.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 餐 in informal contexts where 食 would be more appropriate. For instance, saying '我想吃一餐' (wǒ xiǎng chī yī cān) instead of '我想吃一点' (wǒ xiǎng chī yī diǎn) for 'I want to eat a little bit'.
Write 餐
餐
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Grammar patterns of 餐
餐 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
In this hotel, you can choose different styles of meals, such as French, Japanese, and Italian meals.
12
在这次旅行中，我们品尝了当地的特色餐，非常美味。
Zài zhè cì lǚxíng zhōng, wǒmen pǐncháng le dāngdì de tèsè cān, fēicháng měiwèi.
During this trip, we tasted the local specialty meals, which were very delicious.
13
为了准备婚礼的餐，我们提前一个月就开始计划了。
Wèile zhǔnbèi hūnlǐ de cān, wǒmen tíqián yī gè yuè jiù kāishǐ jìhuà le.
To prepare the wedding meals, we started planning a month in advance.
14
他的饮食习惯很健康，每天三餐都会有大量的蔬菜。
Tā de yǐnshí xíguàn hěn jiànkāng, měitiān sān cān dōu huì yǒu dàliàng de shūcài.
His eating habits are very healthy; every meal includes a large amount of vegetables.
15
我们在海边的餐厅享用了一顿浪漫的晚餐。
Wǒmen zài hǎibiān de cāntīng xiǎngyòng le yī dùn làngmàn de wǎncān.
We enjoyed a romantic dinner at a seaside restaurant.
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Cultural Notes for 餐
💡Did you know?
In Chinese culture, meals are often seen as a time for family gatherings and socializing. It is common to have multiple dishes served together, emphasizing sharing and community during meals.
Word Family of 餐
Compounds1
瀣xièvapor, sea mist
Words containing this character20
晚餐wǎncāndinner
餐cānmeal
早餐zǎocānbreakfast
餐厅cāntīngdining hall餐廳
午餐wǔcānlunch
餐馆cānguǎnrestaurant餐館
餐饮cānyǐncatering餐飲
大餐dàcāngreat meal
餐桌cānzhuōdining table
用餐yòngcānto eat a meal
快餐kuàicānfast food
餐具cānjùtableware
聚餐jùcāncommunal meal
野餐yěcānpicnic
自助餐zìzhùcānbuffet
中餐zhōngcānChinese meal
就餐jiùcānto dine
餐巾cānjīnnapkin
快餐店kuàicāndiànfast food shop
进餐jìncānto have a meal進餐
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 餐
What does 瀣 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 餐
餐 (cān) and 饭 (fàn) both relate to food, but they have different usages. 餐 refers specifically to meals and can be used as a classifier, while 饭 generally refers to cooked rice or food in a broader sense. Understanding these differences can help you use them correctly in conversations.
To say 'I had dinner' in Chinese, you can say '我吃了晚餐' (wǒ chīle wǎncān). Here, 晚餐 (wǎncān) specifically refers to 'dinner,' making it clear that you are using 餐 in the context of a meal.
餐 (cān) means 'meal' or 'to eat' in Chinese. It is commonly used to refer to meals in general, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Additionally, it serves as a classifier for meals, indicating the quantity of meals being referred to.
You can use 餐 (cān) in sentences to indicate specific meals. For example, '我吃了三餐' means 'I ate three meals.' It's also used in phrases like '早餐' (zǎocān) for breakfast and '晚餐' (wǎncān) for dinner.
餐 specifically refers to meals and can be a classifier for them, while 食 is a more general term for eating or food.
No, 餐 typically refers to full meals; for snacks, you might use 小吃 (xiǎo chī).
You can say 我们今天有三餐, meaning 'we have three meals today'.
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