<p>The clue is in 飲食 and 吃喝</p>

<p>In Mandarin, 吃喝 is more colloquial and 飲食 is more literal, (it is the other way around in Cantonese)</p>

<p><strong>In practical usage</strong>:</p>

<p>Both 飲  and 喝 can be a verb for "to drink"  for example: 飲湯，飲酒，飲水; 喝湯，喝酒，喝水</p>

<p>But 喝  can also be a verb for "to shout" <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/230/" rel="nofollow">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/230/</a> , for example: 呼喝，大喝, 喝止</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Since 飲 as a verb can only means "to drink" we can easily add adverb  to modify it , for example :  狂飲，痛飲, 暢飲，but it would be difficult for 喝, for example:  大喝 can means" freely drink" or  " loudly shout" </p></li>
<li><p>飲 can be  (part of) a noun for "beverage", for example: 冷飲，熱飲, 飲品; 喝 cannot.</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>In summary</strong>:</p>

<ul>
<li>As a verb for " to drink", 飲 and 喝 are interchangeable.</li>
<li>飲 is more colloquial and 喝 is more literal. (Cantonese)</li>
<li>喝 is more colloquial and 飲 is more literal. (Mandarin)</li>
<li>飲 can be part of a noun; 喝 cannot.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-27T16:23:25.890Z
I guess this is on Cantonese? In mandarin, as Wang Dingwei said, it's the opposite. 喝 is colloquial and 飲 is classical.
jf328
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-27T16:47:05.470Z
yes, in Cantonese it is as I said 飲 is more colloquial and 喝 is more literal, I will add it to my answer
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-27T13:41:29.597Z
2016-09-27T16:52:04.593Z
2016-09-27T16:52:04.593Z
Tang Ho
<p>饮 is more of a classical term which mostly exists in established words and phrases: </p>

<ul>
<li>As verb: 饮酒, 饮水思源，饮鸩止渴, 饮泣, 饮恨, etc.</li>
<li>As (part of) noun: 饮品, 饮料, 饮片, 饮具, 冷饮, 饮食, 饮用水, etc.</li>
</ul>

<p>Use 喝 in everywhere else.</p>

<p>Usually you don't create words and phrases with 饮. I tried a few and they all sound funny:</p>

<ul>
<li>饮可乐, 饮咖啡, 饮西北风, 饮汤 -- DON'T EVER USE THESE.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-28T05:39:21.043Z
*饮可乐, 饮咖啡, , 饮汤 -- DON'T EVER USE THESE* these phrases are all correct in Cantonese.   In Hong Kong, 喝可乐, 喝咖啡 and 喝汤 are all literal terms, only used in written form.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-27T07:54:40.927Z
2016-09-27T07:54:40.927Z
Wang Dingwei
<p>Both 喝 and 饮 seem to mean 'to drink', but is there nuance beyond this?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-12T02:16:40.393Z
They are interchangeable in modern Chinese, 喝 is used more widely. 饮 is mostly used in written language or official documents, as well as some old sayings such as idioms, while 喝 is mainly used for speaking language.
xenophōn
<usage><meaning>
What is the difference between 喝 and 饮?
# What is the difference between 喝 and 饮?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-27)

Both 喝 and 饮 seem to mean 'to drink', but is there nuance beyond this?

**Tags:** usage, meaning
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: They are interchangeable in modern Chinese, 喝 is used more widely. 饮 is mostly used in written language or official documents, as well as some old sayings such as idioms, while 喝 is mainly used for speaking language.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-09-27. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

饮 is more of a classical term which mostly exists in established words and phrases:

* As verb: 饮酒, 饮水思源，饮鸩止渴, 饮泣, 饮恨, etc.
* As (part of) noun: 饮品, 饮料, 饮片, 饮具, 冷饮, 饮食, 饮用水, etc.

Use 喝 in everywhere else.

Usually you don't create words and phrases with 饮. I tried a few and they all sound funny:

* 饮可乐, 饮咖啡, 饮西北风, 饮汤 -- DON'T EVER USE THESE.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: *饮可乐, 饮咖啡, , 饮汤 -- DON'T EVER USE THESE* these phrases are all correct in Cantonese.   In Hong Kong, 喝可乐, 喝咖啡 and 喝汤 are all literal terms, only used in written form.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-09-27. Score: 1

The clue is in 飲食 and 吃喝

In Mandarin, 吃喝 is more colloquial and 飲食 is more literal, (it is the other way around in Cantonese)

**In practical usage**:

Both 飲 and 喝 can be a verb for "to drink" for example: 飲湯，飲酒，飲水; 喝湯，喝酒，喝水

But 喝 can also be a verb for "to shout" <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/230/> , for example: 呼喝，大喝, 喝止

* Since 飲 as a verb can only means "to drink" we can easily add adverb to modify it , for example : 狂飲，痛飲, 暢飲，but it would be difficult for 喝, for example: 大喝 can means" freely drink" or " loudly shout"
* 飲 can be (part of) a noun for "beverage", for example: 冷飲，熱飲, 飲品; 喝 cannot.

**In summary**:

* As a verb for " to drink", 飲 and 喝 are interchangeable.
* 飲 is more colloquial and 喝 is more literal. (Cantonese)
* 喝 is more colloquial and 飲 is more literal. (Mandarin)
* 飲 can be part of a noun; 喝 cannot.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I guess this is on Cantonese? In mandarin, as Wang Dingwei said, it's the opposite. 喝 is colloquial and 飲 is classical.  
> **username_2**: yes, in Cantonese it is as I said 飲 is more colloquial and 喝 is more literal, I will add it to my answer  

---

