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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing eating completely with 吃掉 (chīdiào)

    Actions & Events
    Result & Consequence

    Structure

    Verb + 掉

    Explanation

    吃掉 (chīdiào) means "to eat up" or "to eat completely," using the resultative complement 掉 to indicate that the action of eating results in something being entirely consumed or removed. This pattern of verb + 掉 is productive in Chinese and conveys completion or removal. Other examples include 扔掉 (throw away) and 忘掉 (forget completely).

    Examples

    • 弟弟把一整块蛋糕都吃掉了。

      Dìdi bǎ yī zhěng kuài dàngāo dōu chī diào le.

      My younger brother ate an entire cake.

    • 桌上的水果被孩子们吃掉了。

      Zhuō shàng de shuǐguǒ bèi háizimen chī diào le.

      The fruit on the table was eaten up by the children.

    • 快把剩饭吃掉，别浪费。

      Kuài bǎ shèngfàn chī diào, bié làngfèi.

      Hurry and eat up the leftovers — don't waste them.

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    Expressing eating completely with 吃掉 (chīdiào) | Chinese Grammar