Chinese Language Class: Are you a “Chi1 Huo4”?

Nowadays, a Chinese phrase called “吃货(chi1 huo4)” has been widely used among Chinese people. And in this Chinese language class, let us have a detailed discussion of this phrase.

First of all, knowing the meaning is the first step to learn Chinese characters. So how should we translate it into English? Actually, it is hard for us to find a exactly equivalent word to describe it. “吃货(chi1 huo4)” is composed of “吃(chi1)” and “货(huo4)”. “吃” means “eat” and “货” previously means “commodity”. The “eating commodity” is the literal translation. Actually, the “货” here has become a person but not the commodity. “The one who is fond of eating” is the real meaning of this phrase. As a Chinese teacher, it is my responsibility to make you clear that the real meaning of this phrase. To help you to understand it better, I will give you another word. That is “foodie”, which seems to be closer to the real meaning.

More and more people are willing to call themselves as the “吃货”? So what does this come? In the Wechat, QQ, Weibo, or other social medias, we can often see such utterances like “我是一个吃货(wo3 shi4 yi2 ge4 chi1 huo4), which means I am a foodie.” They think it is fashionable and cute to say so. Or we can say they are “卖萌(mai4 meng2), which means “pretend to be cute or innocent” ”. “吃货” has become a cute word in young people’s eyes.

Apart from saying “吃货”, there is another one having the similar meaning but enjoying the different attitude. That is “饭桶fan4 tong3”. There is a joke on the internet that saying “长得可好看的才叫吃货，不好看的那只能是饭桶(zhang3 de5 hao3 kan4 de5 cai2 jiao4 chi1 nhuo4, bu4 hao3 kan4 de5 na4 zhi3 neng2 shi4 fan4 tong3)”.

To figure out the real meaning of this utterance, you may search it on the internet and learn Chinese characters online. You will find something funny in it. 

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