How to Write 馋 (chán) — Meaning “Greedy / gluttonous / craving food”

Picture a person (免) sitting at a table with food (饣), drooling two drops of saliva (the two dots above 免) because they are so hungry. This image of "drooling over food" directly links to the meaning of being greedy or gluttonous.

The left radical 饣 must be written narrow and tall, with the last stroke curving downward. A common mistake is writing the right part 免 with only one dot instead of two — remember two dots represent drool. Also, the bottom of 免 should not touch the left part.

馋 means 'greedy for food' or 'gluttonous', while 飨 (xiǎng) means 'to feast' or 'to entertain with food'. Visually, 馋 has a food radical (饣) on the left, whereas 飨 has a food-related top part (食) and a different bottom. They are not interchangeable in usage.

馋 is commonly used in casual speech, like 嘴馋 (zuǐ chán) for 'having a craving' or 馋猫 (chán māo) as a playful term for a greedy person. It is not formal, so you might hear it among friends or family when someone wants a particular snack. In Chinese culture, being called 馋猫 is usually a lighthearted tease.

Common words containing 馋 include: 嘴馋 (zuǐ chán) — greedy; gluttonous; craving food; 馋猫 (chán māo) — Greedy cat (glutton); 馋人 (chán rén) — Mouth-watering / tempting.