When you go to a nice restaurant, you might eat some 佳肴 (jiāyáo). This word means delicious food, or a delicacy. It’s a very polite way to talk about good food, often used for special occasions or fancy meals. Think of it like saying “a culinary delight” in English. You wouldn't use 佳肴 for everyday meals, but for something truly special and well-prepared. So, if someone serves you something amazing, you can call it 佳肴!
When you hear 佳肴 (jiāyáo), think of really good food. It's more than just 'delicious'; it's about food prepared with care, often for special occasions. Imagine a dish that's a true culinary delight, something exquisite and beautifully presented. This word is perfect for describing a meal that's a treat for both the eyes and the palate, like a special feast or a chef's masterpiece.
When we talk about "佳肴" (jiāyáo), we're referring to something more than just good food; it's a culinary masterpiece, a true delicacy. Think of it as a dish that's been prepared with great skill and attention, often associated with special occasions or high-end dining. It implies a certain level of refinement and enjoyment that goes beyond everyday meals. So, while you might say "好吃" (hǎochī) for something tasty, "佳肴" elevates the experience to an exceptional level.
§ What is 佳肴?
So, you've learned a new word: 佳肴 (jiāyáo). It means 'delicacy' or 'fine food.' It's a great word to have in your vocabulary when you want to describe truly delicious and special food.
- DEFINITION
- Delicacy; fine or delicious food.
这顿饭真是佳肴！ (Zhè dùn fàn zhēn shì jiāyáo!)
This meal truly is a delicacy!
§ When to use 佳肴
You should use 佳肴 when you are talking about food that is particularly exquisite, often prepared for special occasions, or just exceptionally tasty and well-made. It carries a sense of appreciation for the quality and preparation of the food.
新年晚宴上的菜都是佳肴。 (Xīnnián wǎnyàn shàng de cài dōu shì jiāyáo.)
The dishes at the New Year's Eve dinner were all delicacies.
§ Similar words and when to use them
Let's look at some other words you might encounter that are related to food and deliciousness, and how they differ from 佳肴.
美食 (měishí): This also means 'delicious food' or 'gourmet food.' It's a very common and broad term. While 佳肴 specifically implies something special and exquisite, 美食 can refer to any food that tastes good, from street food to high-end cuisine.
这个城市有很多地道美食。 (Zhège chéngshì yǒu hěn duō dìdào měishí.)
This city has a lot of authentic delicious food.
好吃 (hǎochī): This is the most basic and common way to say 'delicious' or 'tasty.' It's an adjective. You can use it for anything that tastes good, from a simple snack to a fancy dish. It's much more casual than 佳肴.
这个苹果真好吃！ (Zhège píngguǒ zhēn hǎochī!)
This apple is really delicious!
美味 (měiwèi): This is another adjective meaning 'delicious' or 'tasty.' It's a bit more formal than 好吃, and can be used to describe the taste of food, or sometimes, food itself, similar to 美食, but focuses more on the taste aspect. When used as a noun, it often implies 'a delicacy' but generally lacks the 'fine' or 'exquisite' nuance that 佳肴 has.
这道菜的味道非常美味。 (Zhè dào cài de wèidào fēicháng měiwèi.)
The taste of this dish is very delicious.
§ Summary: When to choose which word
Here's a quick guide to help you decide:
Use 佳肴 (jiāyáo) for truly special, exquisite, or fine food, often associated with special occasions or high-quality preparation. It's a more formal and appreciative term for a 'delicacy.'
Use 美食 (měishí) for generally delicious food, including street food, local specialties, or gourmet meals. It's a broader term for 'tasty food.'
Use 好吃 (hǎochī) for any food that tastes good. It's the most common and casual adjective for 'delicious.'
Use 美味 (měiwèi) as a slightly more formal adjective for 'delicious,' often describing the taste. It can also refer to a 'delicacy' but without the strong 'fine' or 'exquisite' connotation of 佳肴.
Difficulty Rating
Two common characters, but the combination might be new.
Two common characters, but the combination might be new.
Tones are straightforward, common enough to be recognized.
Tones are straightforward, common enough to be recognized.
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
佳肴 (jiāyáo) is typically used in formal or literary contexts to describe high-quality, delicious dishes, often implying a special occasion or an exquisite culinary experience. It is not commonly used for everyday meals.
在这家高档餐厅，厨师为我们准备了丰盛的佳肴。 (At this upscale restaurant, the chef prepared a sumptuous delicacy for us.)
It can be modified by adjectives to further specify the type or quality of the delicacy. For example, 美味佳肴 (měiwèi jiāyáo - delicious delicacy) or 传统佳肴 (chuántǒng jiāyáo - traditional delicacy).
春节期间，家家户户都会准备各种传统佳肴。 (During the Spring Festival, every family prepares various traditional delicacies.)
When used in a sentence, 佳肴 often acts as the object of verbs like 享用 (xiǎngyòng - to enjoy), 品尝 (pǐncháng - to taste), or 准备 (zhǔnbèi - to prepare).
我们一起享用了这顿丰盛的佳肴。 (We enjoyed this rich delicacy together.)
While 佳肴 refers to a dish or food item, it can also be used in a more abstract sense to refer to an excellent intellectual or artistic work, metaphorically comparing it to fine food. This usage is less common but exists in literary contexts.
这部电影被誉为一场视觉佳肴。 (This film is hailed as a visual feast.)
Do not confuse 佳肴 with simply delicious food like 好吃的菜 (hǎochī de cài) or 美食 (měishí). While these also mean delicious food, 佳肴 carries a stronger connotation of refinement and specialness.
他今天晚餐只吃了家常菜，不是什么佳肴。 (He only ate home-cooked dishes for dinner today, nothing fancy.)
Examples by Level
这顿饭有很多佳肴。
This meal has many delicacies.
'这顿饭' (zhè dùn fàn) means 'this meal'. '有很多' (yǒu hěn duō) means 'has many'.
妈妈做的菜总是佳肴。
The dishes mom makes are always delicacies.
'妈妈做的菜' (māmā zuò de cài) means 'the dishes mom makes'. '总是' (zǒng shì) means 'always'.
这家餐厅的佳肴很有名。
This restaurant's delicacies are very famous.
'这家餐厅' (zhè jiā cāntīng) means 'this restaurant'. '很有名' (hěn yǒu míng) means 'very famous'.
我们一起品尝了各种佳肴。
We tasted all kinds of delicacies together.
'我们一起' (wǒmen yīqǐ) means 'we together'. '品尝了' (pǐncháng le) means 'tasted'. '各种' (gè zhǒng) means 'all kinds of'.
春节的时候，家里会准备很多佳肴。
During Chinese New Year, the family prepares many delicacies.
'春节的时候' (chūnjié de shíhòu) means 'during Chinese New Year'. '家里会准备' (jiālǐ huì zhǔnbèi) means 'the family will prepare'.
他喜欢去不同的地方寻找佳肴。
He likes to go to different places to search for delicacies.
'他喜欢去' (tā xǐhuān qù) means 'he likes to go'. '不同的地方' (bù tóng de dìfāng) means 'different places'. '寻找' (xúnzhǎo) means 'to search for'.
这是一道传统的中国佳肴。
This is a traditional Chinese delicacy.
'这是一道' (zhè shì yī dào) means 'this is a (measure word for dishes)'. '传统的' (chuántǒng de) means 'traditional'.
生日派对上有很多美味的佳肴。
There were many delicious delicacies at the birthday party.
'生日派对上' (shēngrì pàiduì shàng) means 'at the birthday party'. '有很多美味的' (yǒu hěn duō měiwèi de) means 'there are many delicious'.
How to Use It
佳肴 (jiāyáo) refers to delicious and finely prepared food, often implying a special or elaborate dish. It's used in more formal contexts or when describing high-quality cuisine. Think of it as 'a gourmet dish' or 'a culinary delight.' It's not typically used for everyday meals.
A common mistake is to use 佳肴 for any food. For example, don't say '我每天都吃佳肴' (Wǒ měitiān dōu chī jiāyáo - I eat delicacies every day) if you're just talking about your regular meals. Instead, you could say '我每天都吃好吃的饭' (Wǒ měitiān dōu chī hǎochī de fàn - I eat delicious food every day). Another mistake is to confuse it with '美食' (měishí), which is a broader term for 'delicious food' or 'gourmet food' and can be used in more casual settings. While sometimes interchangeable, 佳肴 emphasizes the 'fine' or 'exquisite' aspect more strongly.
Test Yourself 36 questions
我喜欢吃好吃的饭菜，这真是一种___。
The sentence talks about delicious food, and '佳肴' means delicacy or fine food. The other options don't fit the context.
妈妈做的菜总是很香，每一道都是___。
The sentence describes food that smells good and implies it's special. '佳肴' is the best fit.
这个餐厅有很多美味的___。
A restaurant typically serves '佳肴' (delicacies), not furniture or cups.
我们今天晚上吃了一顿丰盛的___。
A '丰盛的' (sumptuous) meal would consist of '佳肴' (delicacies), not clothing.
这道菜是本店的特色___。
A restaurant's '特色' (specialty) would be a '佳肴' (delicacy), not school supplies.
过年的时候，家里会准备很多___。
During the New Year, families prepare many '佳肴' (delicacies), not electronics.
The correct order forms the sentence 'This is a delicious dish.' (Zhè shì yī dào měiwèi de cài).
The correct order forms the sentence 'I want to eat something delicious.' (Wǒ xiǎng chī hǎochī de dōngxī).
The correct order forms the sentence 'Mom made a lot of delicious food.' (Māmā zuòle hěn duō hǎochī de fàn).
Which of these words best describes a very delicious dish?
佳肴 (jiāyáo) specifically means a delicacy or fine food, fitting the description of a very delicious dish.
If someone says '这真是佳肴！' (Zhè zhēn shì jiāyáo!), what are they probably talking about?
佳肴 (jiāyáo) refers to delicious food, so the sentence means 'This is truly a delicacy!'
Which word is a synonym for '美味的食物' (měiwèi de shíwù - delicious food)?
佳肴 (jiāyáo) and 美味的食物 (měiwèi de shíwù) both refer to delicious, high-quality food.
You can use 佳肴 (jiāyáo) to describe a very simple, everyday dish.
佳肴 (jiāyáo) is used for fine, delicious, or special food, not simple everyday dishes.
When you want to praise a chef for a wonderful dish, you can say '这道菜真是佳肴！' (Zhè dào cài zhēn shì jiāyáo!)
Saying '这道菜真是佳肴！' (This dish is truly a delicacy!) is a perfect way to compliment a wonderful dish.
佳肴 (jiāyáo) can be used to describe a good movie.
佳肴 (jiāyáo) specifically refers to food; it cannot be used to describe movies or other non-food items.
This is a delicacy. The structure '这 (this) + 是 (is) + 一 (a) + 道 (measure word for dishes) + 佳肴 (delicacy)' forms a common descriptive sentence.
He prepared many delicacies for the dinner party. The structure 'Subject + 为 (for) + Object (purpose) + 准备 (prepared) + 了 (past tense marker) + 很多 (many) + 佳肴 (delicacies)' is used here.
We enjoyed a delicious delicacy. The sentence structure is '我们 (we) + 享用 (enjoyed) + 了 (past tense marker) + 一顿 (a meal of) + 美味 (delicious) + 的 (possessive/descriptive particle) + 佳肴 (delicacy)'.
This sentence describes a dish that is perfect in color, aroma, and taste, making people praise it endlessly. The word '佳肴' functions as the object of '这道'.
This sentence describes how the fine dishes prepared by grandma for the family dinner made everyone feel warm. '佳肴' is the object of '烹制的'.
This sentence indicates that the chef is skilled at transforming ordinary ingredients into exquisite delicacies. '佳肴' is the result of the transformation.
以下哪句话中，使用“佳肴”最为恰当？ (Which sentence uses '佳肴' most appropriately?)
“佳肴”指的是美味的食物，因此与餐厅和食客搭配最恰当。 (Jia Yao refers to delicious food, so it is most appropriate when paired with a restaurant and diners.)
在一个描述家宴的场景中，哪个词最能准确表达“精心准备的美味菜肴”？ (In a scene describing a family banquet, which word best expresses 'carefully prepared delicious dishes'?)
“佳肴”特指精美、美味的菜肴，比“饭菜”和“食物”更强调其品质和烹饪的用心。 (Jia Yao specifically refers to exquisite and delicious dishes, emphasizing their quality and the effort put into cooking more than 'fancai' and 'shiwu'.)
以下哪一个词语与“佳肴”的含义最为接近？ (Which of the following words is closest in meaning to '佳肴'?)
“山珍海味”是指珍贵而美味的食物，与“佳肴”的含义最为接近。 (Shan Zhen Hai Wei refers to precious and delicious food, which is closest in meaning to Jia Yao.)
“佳肴”可以用来形容一道普通的家常菜。 (Jia Yao can be used to describe an ordinary home-cooked dish.)
“佳肴”通常指比较精致、美味的菜肴，而非普通的家常菜。 (Jia Yao usually refers to more exquisite and delicious dishes, rather than ordinary home-cooked meals.)
在正式的宴会上，使用“佳肴”比“菜”更能体现对食物的赞美。 (At a formal banquet, using '佳肴' expresses more praise for the food than '菜'.)
“佳肴”带有褒义，强调食物的精美和美味，更适合在正式场合表达赞美。 (Jia Yao carries a positive connotation, emphasizing the exquisiteness and deliciousness of food, making it more suitable for expressing praise in formal settings.)
“佳肴”这个词语在日常对话中很少使用，因为它过于书面化。 (The word '佳肴' is rarely used in daily conversation because it is too formal.)
虽然“佳肴”带有一定的书面语色彩，但在描述美味的食物时，日常对话中也常会使用，尤其是在比较正式或强调食物品质的语境中。 (Although 'Jia Yao' has a certain literary color, it is often used in daily conversations when describing delicious food, especially in more formal contexts or when emphasizing food quality.)
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Example
这家餐厅的佳肴非常美味。
Related Content
More daily_life words
朝九晚五
B2From nine to five; regular working hours.
未免
B2Rather; a bit too; truly (implies something excessive).
废弃
B2To abandon; to discard; to cease to use.
恪守
B2To scrupulously observe; to strictly adhere to.
反常
B2abnormal, unusual
充裕
B2Abundant; ample.
充沛
B2Abundant; plentiful; full of energy.
门禁卡
B2Access card; entry card.
门禁
B2Access control (system).
配件
B2Fittings; accessories; spare parts.
