你吃了吗？

Learning Chinese: How to Ask "Have You Eaten?" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 你吃了吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ chīle ma?
Pronunciation: ni3 chi1 le5 ma5
English Translation: Have you eaten?

Usage:

"你吃了吗？ (Nǐ chīle ma?)" is a common way to greet someone in Chinese, especially during mealtimes. It is a way of asking if the person has had something to eat and is often used as a polite inquiry about their well-being.

Example:

Chinese: 你吃了吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ chīle ma?
English: Have you eaten?
Variations:

There are a few variations of "你吃了吗？ (Nǐ chīle ma?)" that you may hear:

吃了吗？ (Chīle ma?): A more informal way to ask "have you eaten?", often used among friends and family.
吃过饭了吗？ (Chīguò fàn le ma?): Literally means "have you eaten rice?", which is a common way to ask about someone's meal.
Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "你吃了吗？ (Nǐ chīle ma?)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers asking "have you eaten?" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "你吃了吗？ (Nǐ chīle ma?)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:

"你吃了吗？ (Nǐ chīle ma?)" is typically used during mealtimes, but it can also be used as a general greeting at any time of day.
It is considered polite to ask someone "have you eaten?" before starting a conversation or discussing other matters.
In some regions of China, people may also use "吃饭了吗？ (Chīfàn le ma?)" to ask about someone's meal.