津津有味
With great relish
A breakdown of the characters in 津津有味 (jīn jīn yǒu wèi):
津津 (jīnjīn): saliva (but only in this chengyu - eg. 天津 [tiānjīn] is a major city in Northern China and does not mean “sky saliva”)
有 (yǒu): to have
味 (wèi): flavor
Food is, without question, an important part of Chinese culture. Unfortunately, you may find yourself overusing 好 吃 (hǎo chī - delicious), the second word you learned in class (after 你好). Here’s a chengyu you can use next time you’re eating: 津津有味 (jīn jīn yǒu wèi).
津津有味means to eat something with enthusiasm, zest, or gusto. It can also be used for activities beyond just eating, as long as the person doing the activity nds it very stimulating or engaging. It’s not something that people typically use to describe their own actions, but you can liberally use it to describe a friend’s conduct.
“大熊猫津津有味地品尝月饼”
“dàxióngmāo jīnjīnyǒuwèi de pǐncháng yuèbǐng”
“The pandas are savoring their mooncakes”
“津津有味地看报”
“jīnjīnyǒuwèi de kànbào”
“to devour the newspaper”
“店里的游客正津津有味地品尝着当地 美食”
“diàn lǐ de yóukè zhèng jīnjīnyǒuwèi de pǐncháng zhe dāngdì měishí”
“The tourists in the shop are enthusiastically tasting the local cuisine”
“他们看《哈利•波特》看得津津有味”
“tāmen kān <hā lì • bō tè> kān de jīnjīnyǒuwèi”
“They were enchanted as they watched Harry Potter”