What Does 你吃了吗 (nǐ chī le ma) Mean in Chinese?
Traditional: 你吃了嗎Reviewed context lessonCommon
Have you eaten?
Quick answer: What does 你吃了吗 mean?
你吃了吗 — A literal question about eating that can also work as casual small talk in the right context.
✓Have you eaten?
✓Did you eat yet?
✓In some contexts, a casual conversation opener.
What Chinese people actually mean
Do not assume it is always just a greeting. Around mealtimes, among family, coworkers, neighbors, or older speakers, it can be a genuine question about whether you have eaten.
Chinese characters
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
你nǐMeaning in this word: context-dependent吃chīto eat; to consume了le(completed action marker)吗ma(question particle for "yes-no" questions)
Real conversations
1 · Around lunchtime
A: 你吃了吗？
nǐ chī le ma?
A: Have you eaten?
B: 吃了，你呢？
chī le, nǐ ne?
B: Yes. How about you?
2 · Not yet
A: 吃饭了吗？
chīfàn le ma?
A: Have you eaten?
B: 还没呢。
hái méi ne.
B: Not yet.
How to pronounce 你吃了吗
你吃了吗
Tap to hear Mandarin.
nǐ3rd tone ˇ
chī1st tone →
leneutral tone
maneutral tone
When to use it
✓Often heard around mealtimes.
✓It may be genuine small talk rather than a literal invitation to eat together.
✓Usage varies by age, region, relationship, and context.
✓A natural reply is 吃了，你呢？ or 还没呢。
Sources and editorial note
Base entry: Real Chinese launch seed.Context lesson: Real Chinese editorial seed; examples and explanations are original project content.