[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Anatomy-and-Living \ #Facial-Actions # 食 shí food, meal; to eat ## Components [[人 rén]] [[人 (rén)]] [[良 liáng]] ## Meaning Nowadays, the character "食" (shí) primarily means "to eat" or "food." It is commonly used in various contexts related to eating and food. Here are some common usages: 1. **As a noun:** - **食物 (shíwù)**: Food - **食谱 (shípǔ)**: Recipe - **餐食 (cānshí)**: Meal, food served in a meal 2. **As a verb:** - **食 (shí)**: To eat - **饮食 (yǐnshí)**: Food and drink ## History The original meaning of the character "食" (shí) is "food." In oracle bone script, "食" is an ideogram that resembles an ancient food container. The top part, which looks like a person (人), represents the lid, and the bottom part (良) resembles a vessel filled with grains, vividly conveying the meaning of "food." During the Han Dynasty, "食" also denoted rituals, with officials overseeing such rituals called "食监." As a verb, "食" means "to eat" and can be pronounced as "sì," similar to "饲" (to feed). As an ideogram, in oracle and bronze script, it depicts a container with food, symbolizing something to eat. The primary meaning is food. As a radical, it is related to characters associated with food. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ![[食 shí - ora.svg]] ### Bronze Script ![[食 shí - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[食 shí - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[食 shí - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[食 shí - reg.svg]]