馋嘴 (chán zuǐ) — gluttonous; greedy for food

Definition

Describes a person (often a child) who craves food and can't resist eating — more vivid and colloquial than simply saying someone 'likes to eat'.

adjective
gluttonousgreedy for food

Examples

  • 馋嘴，。
    Tā tè bié chán zuǐ, yí kàn jiàn měi shí jiù zǒu bú dòng le.
    He is especially gluttonous; as soon as he sees delicious food, he can't move.
  • 馋嘴，。
    Wǒ dì di shì gè chán zuǐ de hái zi, zǒng xiǎng duō chī líng shí.
    My younger brother is a gluttonous child; he always wants to eat more snacks.
  • 馋嘴，。
    Bié nà me chán zuǐ, chī tài duō duì shēn tǐ bù hǎo.
    Don't be so gluttonous; eating too much is bad for your health.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

馋chángreedy
嘴zuǐmouth

馋 means greedy for food and 嘴 means mouth; together they suggest a greedy mouth, i.e. a glutton.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 饞; 馋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
飠Written in full as食shíto eat; food
Sound part声符shēngfú
毚
毚chán饞chán
Same sound today

The traditional form 饞 has 食 (to eat; food) on the left and 毚 on the right, with 毚 giving the sound; the simplified 馋 is a shorthand and its right side is not 毚.

Open 馋 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
觜
觜zī嘴
Same sound today

嘴 pairs 口 (mouth) with 觜, which supplies its sound.

Open 嘴 →

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