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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing eating or feeding with 食 (shí)

    Actions & Events

    Structure

    以 + Food + 为 + 食

    Explanation

    食 (shí) means "to eat" or "to feed on" and is a classical or literary verb for consuming food. In modern Chinese, it often appears in set phrases like 以…为食 (to feed on) rather than being used alone.

    Examples

    • 大熊猫以竹子为食。

      dà xióngmāo yǐ zhúzi wéi shí.

      Giant pandas feed on bamboo.

    • 这种鸟主要以昆虫为食。

      zhè zhǒng niǎo zhǔyào yǐ kūnchóng wéi shí.

      This type of bird mainly feeds on insects.

    • 鲸鱼以小鱼和浮游生物为食。

      jīngyú yǐ xiǎo yú hé fúyóu shēngwù wéi shí.

      Whales feed on small fish and plankton.

    Expressing eating or feeding with 食 (shí) | Chinese Grammar