Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
饮食 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
饮食yǐnshífood and drinkHSK 5, n, 16 strokes, rank #7262, Hard
饮食yǐnshídietHSK 5, n, 16 strokes, rank #7262, Hard
yǐnshí(yin3shi2)yin shi T3
  1. 1food and drink
  2. 2diet
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

饮食(飲食)yǐnshí(yin3shi2)

饮食 refers to food and drink, encompassing both what people consume and their dietary habits. It is commonly used in contexts discussing nutrition, health, and lifestyle choices related to eating and drinking.

Strokes16Frequency#7262DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, 饮食 is closely tied to traditional beliefs about balance and health, often reflected in practices like Yin-Yang dietary principles and the importance of seasonal eating.

Memory tip

Think of 饮 as 'yin', which sounds like 'in', and imagine a cup of drink 'in' your hand. The 食 part resembles a plate of food. Together, you have 'food and drink' in your 'hand'.

Meanings of 饮食

yǐnshí(yin3shi2)
1food and drink
2diet
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 饮食 means.

About 饮食

饮食Simplified
飲食Traditional
16Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#7262Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2

Podcast: 饮食

JasonAmy

Podcast: 饮食

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI study notes for 饮食

Quick Contrast

饮食 (food and drink) vs 食物 (food) — use 饮食 when discussing both food and drink together, while 食物 refers specifically to food alone.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 饮食 with just 'food' (食物), as 饮食 includes both food and drink. This term is more formal and is often used in health-related discussions.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 饮食 connects with topics like health and wellness. Students should focus on using it in contexts of dietary discussions and learn related vocabulary like 健康 (health) and 营养 (nutrition).

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 饮食 to refer only to food, neglecting the drink component. For example, saying '我喜欢饮食' (I like food) should be corrected to '我喜欢食物和饮料' (I like food and drinks).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 饮食

Premium — Locked

Tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 饮食, say it back, see your pitch against the model voice, and earn XP towards mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsPitch drawing+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 饮食 to you

Let me explain 饮食 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 饮食 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.

How well do you know 饮食?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 饮食 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Component characters

饮yǐnto drink
7 strokes饣
View full entry
食shíto eat
9 strokes食
View full entry

How to say food and drink in Chinese

“food and drink” in Chinese is饮食yǐnshí

饮食 refers to food and drink, encompassing both what people consume and their dietary habits. It is commonly used in contexts discussing nutrition, health, and lifestyle choices related to eating and drinking.

When to use 饮食

Common mistakes include confusing 饮食 with just 'food' (食物), as 饮食 includes both food and drink. This term is more formal and is often used in health-related discussions.

饮食 or something close to it

饮食 (food and drink) vs 食物 (food) — use 饮食 when discussing both food and drink together, while 食物 refers specifically to food alone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 饮食 to refer only to food, neglecting the drink component. For example, saying '我喜欢饮食' (I like food) should be corrected to '我喜欢食物和饮料' (I like food and drinks).

Write 饮食

饮
食

Practice writing 饮食 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar patterns of 饮食

饮食 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 2 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.

Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

民以食为天,____乃人生大事。

Food is heaven for the people — eating is a great matter of life.

Example sentences for 饮食 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你的饮食中新鲜果蔬充足吗?

nǐ de yǐnshí zhōng xīnxiān guǒ shū chōngzú ma?

Are there plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet?
2
关键是你的饮食要多样化,并保持均衡。

guānjiàn shì nǐ de yǐnshí yào duōyàng huà, bìng bǎochí jūnhéng。

It is essential that your diet is varied and balanced.
3
在减肥过程中保持饮食的营养相对均衡是明智的。

zài jiǎnféi guòchéng zhōng bǎochí yǐnshí de yíngyǎng xiāngduì jūnhéng shì míngzhì de。

It makes sense to eat a reasonably balanced diet when slimming.
4
英国也有美食,只是一般的日常饮食太过糟糕。

Yīng guó yě yǒu měishí, zhǐshì yìbān de rìcháng yǐnshí tài guò zāogāo。

English food can be wonderful but the normal English diet is abominable.
5
他把身体好归功于适当的饮食及运动.

tā bǎ shēntǐ hǎo guī gōng yú shìdàng de yǐnshí jí yùndòng.

He ascribed his good health to proper diet and exercise.
6
在学校的自助餐厅里你会发现有很多饮食可供选择。

zài xuéxiào de zìzhù cāntīng lǐ nǐ huì fāxiàn yǒu hěn duō yǐnshí kě gōng xuǎnzé。

You will find a wide variety of choices available in school cafeterias.
7
饮食中摄入过量蛋白质可能会加速衰老。

yǐnshí zhōng shèrù guòliàng dànbáizhì kěnéng huì jiāsù shuāilǎo。

Too much protein in the diet may advance the ageing process.
8
无麸质饮食对一些关节炎患者有疗效。

wú fū zhì yǐnshí duì yìxiē guānjié yán huànzhě yǒu liáoxiào。

Some cases of arthritis respond to a gluten-free diet.
9
饮食专家可以对日常饮食的方方面面提出建议。

yǐnshí zhuānjiā kěyǐ duì rìcháng yǐnshí de fāngfāngmiànmiàn tíchū jiànyì。

Dietary experts can advise on the ins and outs of dieting.
10
限制饮食和放松身心是保持健康的两个要诀。

xiànzhì yǐnshí hé fàngsōng shēnxīn shì bǎochí jiànkāng de liǎng gè yào jué。

Diet and relaxation are two important keys to good health.

Ask Jason

Have a question about 饮食?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 200 AI credits.

Frequently asked questions about 饮食

You can say '我关注饮食健康' (I pay attention to dietary health) to emphasize the importance of what you eat and drink.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 饮食?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab