chop food

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   To cut food into small pieces with a knife or similar tool.

   Grammar: The verb 'chop' takes the food as its object: chop food, chop the onions; 'food' stays singular here.

   Patterns

   • chop food into pieces
   • chop food for someone
   • chop food finely
   • chop food up

   She chopped food for the soup while the water boiled.

   It is easier to chop food if your knife is sharp.

   He chopped the food into small pieces so the children could eat it.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   To cut food into pieces before cooking or serving it.

   Grammar: Often used with adverbs like 'finely' or 'roughly' to say how small the pieces are: chop the food roughly.

   Patterns

   • chop food finely
   • chop food roughly
   • chop food before cooking

   Chop the food roughly; it does not need to look perfect.

   The recipe says to chop the food before you heat the oil.

   He chopped the food finely and added it to the pan.

Common combinations

chop food into pieces

Chop the food into pieces about the size of your thumb.

chop food finely

Chop the food finely so it cooks quickly.

chop food roughly

For a stew, chop the food roughly and let it simmer.

chop food for a recipe

I chopped the food for the recipe the night before.

chop food with a knife

You can chop the food with a knife or use a machine.

Synonyms and how they differ

cut up food

Very close in meaning, but 'cut up' is more neutral and works for any cutting into pieces, while 'chop' suggests firm, repeated downward cuts.

dice food

More specific: it means cutting food into small neat cubes, whereas 'chop' does not require an even shape.

mince food

Means cutting food into very tiny pieces, much smaller than a normal chop.

Word family

chop verb

To cut something with a heavy blow or repeated blows.

chopper noun

A tool or machine used for chopping, such as a food chopper.

chopped adjective

Describes food that has already been cut into pieces, as in chopped onions.

Commonly confused: chop food or chip? chop food or slice?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chop food”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words