喝

Learning Chinese: How to Say "Drink" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 喝
Pinyin: hē
Pronunciation: he1
English Translation: Drink

Usage:

"喝 (hē)" is the most common verb meaning "to drink" in Chinese. It can be used with both liquids and alcoholic beverages.

Example:

Chinese: 我要喝水。
Pinyin: Wǒ yào hē shuǐ.
English: I want to drink water.

Variations:

There are a few variations of "喝 (hē)" that you may hear:

吃 (chī): This character is also used to mean "to drink", but it is more commonly used for eating solid food.
饮 (yǐn): This character is more formal and literary than "喝 (hē)". It is often used in written Chinese or in formal speeches.

Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "喝 (hē)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers saying "drink" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "喝 (hē)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.

Additional Notes:

"喝 (hē)" is typically followed by the object of the verb, which can be a noun or a pronoun.
For example:

Chinese: 我喝水。
Pinyin: Wǒ hē shuǐ.
English: I drink water.

Chinese: 他喝啤酒。
Pinyin: Tā hē píjiǔ.
English: He drinks beer.

"喝 (hē)" can also be used in a figurative sense to mean "to absorb" or "to take in".

For example:

Chinese: 他喝了很多知识。
Pinyin: Tā hē le hěn duō zhīshi.
English: He has absorbed a lot of knowledge.