食
The 食 radical
Food
Variants: 饣 飠
Memory hook
A food container with a lid
The 食 radical (read shí) means food. The HSK 3.0 data contains 19 characters and 85 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 食 radical
Study this radical's 85 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 食 radical
19 charactersHSK 1· 3 characters
HSK 1饭
cooked rice
饿
hungry
馆
establishment (such as a restaurant)
HSK 2· 4 characters
HSK 2食
food
餐
meal
饱
full (after eating)
饺
dumpling
HSK 5· 3 characters
HSK 5饮
to drink
饰
to decorate, ornament
饼
cake, pastry
HSK 6· 1 characters
HSK 6馒
steamed bun
HSK 7-9· 8 characters
HSK 7-9饥
hungry, famished
饲
to feed, to raise (animals)
饵
bait (for fishing)
饶
to forgive, spare
馁
hungry, famished
馅
filling (of a pastry or bun)
馈
to give as a gift, to present
馋
gluttonous, greedy for food
Vocabulary with the 食 radical
85 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 食 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (48/85 words of this radical).
lunch
to eat a meal
library
breakfast
dinner
cooked rice
cooked rice
restaurant
hungry
lunch; midday meal
gymnasium; indoor sports arena
to cook; to make a meal
lunch
fast food
breakfast
dinner; supper
Western food; Western cuisine
food
embassy
hotel
delicious food; fine cuisine
food; foodstuff; food product
combo, package deal
food, grain
snacks
canteen, cafeteria
museum
hotel
mooncake
rice cooker
boxed meal
to decorate
drink, beverage
diet
cake, pastry
sports venue, stadium, arena
appetite
meal
steamed bun (plain)
staple food
meals, food provisions, board (usually refers to food provided within a collective such as a school, army, or factory)
everyday meal; a simple, plain meal
feedback, comment
to repay, to give back
to dine, to have a meal (formal)
New Year's Eve dinner, year-end reunion dinner
to forget to eat and sleep (out of intense focus on work, study, or some passion)
to endure hunger and starvation
Why learn vocabulary by the 食 radical?
The 食 radical hints at the meaning food. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 19 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 85 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.