<p>As a native speaker. 這個菜湯很香！　你吃吃看！doesn't really sound too bad since you can actually eat things in the soup. If it is just pure liquid like water, it will sound odd.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-22T04:37:47.060Z
2018-01-22T04:37:47.060Z
Terrence  Liao
<p>In fact, we only use 吃 in ancient times, nowadays we use 喝 more. You can simply translate all into "drink".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-21T06:08:43.010Z
2018-01-21T06:08:43.010Z
user18942
<p>They are both valid, see “请吃茶，吃酒”，someone even say "吃烟"（smoke ）. Angels are on your side.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-24T04:15:34.833Z
2018-01-24T04:15:34.833Z
XL _At_Here_There
<p>Obviously need to chew -> 这碗汤吃吃看/吃粥</p>

<p>Around the ambiguity -> 这碗汤喝喝看/喝粥</p>

<p>No usage of “吃汤” leads to safety~</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-24T01:56:26.653Z
謝謝！ Thanks for your answer, I'm sure you have something good to say, but as it is now it's a but hard to understand for me ... could you elaborate a bit?
PetaspeedBeaver
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-24T02:47:17.923Z
@PetaspeedBeaver I think Chinese people is quick-witted even casual in idiomatic usage. You can think that we usually say 喝汤/茶. And 吃粥=喝粥, you should chew rices, so "eat". 吃茶=喝茶, because ancient Chinese tea can be eaten, be chewed. We don't use 吃汤 as a word, but involved a particular type of nutrition (food&drink) we say eat as the highest order of actions. So "這個菜湯很香！你吃吃看！" is correct.
Hao FU
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-23T05:40:41.257Z
2018-01-23T05:40:41.257Z
Hao FU
<p>The idiomatic way to say 'try it' in Chinese is 尝一下，尝尝，尝一尝. </p>

<p>You can also say 你吃一口(试试/尝尝) and 你喝一口(试试/尝尝) for eating and drinking respectively. </p>

<p>Your version 你喝喝看 is good too. But 你吃吃看 is not suitable for drinkings and soups. This is different from English.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-17T06:13:36.193Z
2018-01-17T06:18:58.170Z
2018-01-17T06:18:58.170Z
dan
<p>In English you say eat soup, not drink soup. But how about Mandarin?</p>

<p><strong>Drink</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>這個菜湯很香！　你喝喝看！　（This vegetable soup is really tasty! You try it!)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>or eat？</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>這個菜湯很香！　你吃吃看！　（This vegetable soup is really tasty! You try it!)</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Or are both valid?</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-17T04:31:40.660Z
Depends how *hick* you want to be. 吃 would be "invalid" in most "educated" circles - but in many countrysides anything can be 吃-ed: 吃烟、吃酒、吃汤、吃茶, etc.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-17T04:53:16.347Z
For me, I use `吃` when I need chewing the food. You can you `尝尝` instead of `喝喝` or `吃吃`, `尝尝` is more suitable than the others.
LiuYan 刘研
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-24T05:24:05.123Z
This usage may differ in different areas of China.
fefe
<grammar><mandarin><verbs>
Do I drink (喝) or eat (吃) a soup in Chinese?
# Do I drink (喝) or eat (吃) a soup in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-17)

In English you say eat soup, not drink soup. But how about Mandarin?

**Drink**

> 這個菜湯很香！　你喝喝看！　（This vegetable soup is really tasty! You try it!)

**or eat？**

> 這個菜湯很香！　你吃吃看！　（This vegetable soup is really tasty! You try it!)

**Or are both valid?**

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin, verbs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Depends how *hick* you want to be. 吃 would be "invalid" in most "educated" circles - but in many countrysides anything can be 吃-ed: 吃烟、吃酒、吃汤、吃茶, etc.  
> **username_2**: For me, I use `吃` when I need chewing the food. You can you `尝尝` instead of `喝喝` or `吃吃`, `尝尝` is more suitable than the others.  
> **username_3**: This usage may differ in different areas of China.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2018-01-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The idiomatic way to say 'try it' in Chinese is 尝一下，尝尝，尝一尝.

You can also say 你吃一口(试试/尝尝) and 你喝一口(试试/尝尝) for eating and drinking respectively.

Your version 你喝喝看 is good too. But 你吃吃看 is not suitable for drinkings and soups. This is different from English.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-01-22. Score: 1

As a native speaker. 這個菜湯很香！　你吃吃看！doesn't really sound too bad since you can actually eat things in the soup. If it is just pure liquid like water, it will sound odd.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2018-01-21. Score: 0

In fact, we only use 吃 in ancient times, nowadays we use 喝 more. You can simply translate all into "drink".


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### Answer by username_6 on 2018-01-24. Score: 0

They are both valid, see “请吃茶，吃酒”，someone even say "吃烟"（smoke ）. Angels are on your side.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2018-01-23. Score: 0

Obviously need to chew -> 这碗汤吃吃看/吃粥

Around the ambiguity -> 这碗汤喝喝看/喝粥

No usage of “吃汤” leads to safety~

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 謝謝！ Thanks for your answer, I'm sure you have something good to say, but as it is now it's a but hard to understand for me ... could you elaborate a bit?  
> **username_7**: @username_0 I think Chinese people is quick-witted even casual in idiomatic usage. You can think that we usually say 喝汤/茶. And 吃粥=喝粥, you should chew rices, so "eat". 吃茶=喝茶, because ancient Chinese tea can be eaten, be chewed. We don't use 吃汤 as a word, but involved a particular type of nutrition (food&drink) we say eat as the highest order of actions. So "這個菜湯很香！你吃吃看！" is correct.  

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