HSK 3 · Article · 338 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-do-chinese-people-ask-have-you-eaten

为什么中国人见面总问“吃了吗”？

Why do Chinese people ask “Have you eaten?”

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马克mǎkè刚gāng来lái北京běijīng的de时候shíhou，每天měitiān早上zǎoshang下楼xiàlóu都dōu会huì遇到yùdào王wáng阿姨āyí。王阿姨总是zǒngshì笑xiào着zhe问wèn他tā：“吃chī了le吗ma？”马克mǎkè认真rènzhēn地de回答huídá：“还hái没méi吃chī呢ne，冰箱bīngxiāng里只有zhíyǒu一yí个gè鸡蛋jīdàn，我wǒ不bù知道zhīdào去qù哪儿nǎr吃chī早饭zǎofàn。”王wáng阿姨āyí听tīng完wán，说shuō了le声shēng“哦ò”，就jiù走zǒu了le。

其实qíshí，王阿姨并bìng不想bùxiǎng知道zhīdào他tā吃没吃chīméichī。“吃chī了le吗ma”常常chángcháng不是búshì真的zhēnde在zài问wèn，只是zhǐshì打招呼dǎzhāohu，和hé“你好níhǎo”差不多chàbuduō。别人biéren这样zhèyàng问wèn你nǐ，你nǐ就jiù说shuō：“吃chī了le，你nǐ呢ne？”就算jiùsuàn没méi吃chī，很hěn多duō人rén也yě会huì说shuō“吃chī了le”。说shuō“还hái没呢ne”也yě没méi问题wèntí，就是jiùshì不要búyào说shuō太tài多duō。

中国zhōngguó人rén见面jiànmiàn还hái常常chángcháng问wèn一些yìxiē这样zhèyàng的de“问题wèntí”。你nǐ背bēi着zhe包bāo出门chūmén，邻居línjū问wèn：“上班shàngbān啊a？”你nǐ走zǒu在zài小区xiǎoqū里，朋友péngyǒu问wèn：“去qù哪儿nǎr啊a？”你nǐ说shuō“出去chūqù一下yíxià”就jiù行xíng。晚上wǎnshang回到huídào家jiā，家人jiārén说shuō：“回来huílái了le？”这些zhèxiē话huà都dōu是shì一个yígè意思yìsi：我wǒ看见kànjiàn你nǐ了le。

那么nàme为什么wèishénme是shì“吃chī”呢ne？有yǒu一种yìzhǒng常见chángjiàn的de说法shuōfǎ是shì：以前yǐqián很hěn多duō人rén吃不饱chībubǎo，见面jiànmiàn问wèn一yí句jù“吃chī了le吗ma”，就jiù像xiàng在zài问wèn你nǐ过得guòde好不好hǎobuhǎo。现在xiànzài大家dàjiā都dōu吃得饱chīdebǎo了le，这zhè句jù话huà还hái留liú着zhe，只是zhǐshì年轻人niánqīngrén说shuō得de不bù多duō了le。

第二天dì’èrtiān早上zǎoshang，王wáng阿姨āyí又yòu问wèn：“吃chī了le吗ma？”马克mǎkè马上mǎshàng说shuō：“吃chī了le，您nín呢ne？”其实qíshí他tā还hái没méi吃chī。王wáng阿姨āyí笑xiào得de很hěn开心kāixīn：“这zhè孩子háizi，中文zhōngwén真zhēn不错búcuò！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
走	zǒu	to go; to leave
这样	zhèyàng	like this; this way
包	bāo	bag; sack
出门	chūmén	to go out
回来	huílái	to come back; to return
意思	yìsi	meaning; idea
不错	búcuò	not bad; pretty good
遇到	yùdào	to meet; to run into; to encounter
阿姨	āyí	aunt (term of address for a woman of one's mother's generation)
认真	rènzhēn	conscientious; earnest; serious; to take seriously
回答	huídá	to answer; to reply; answer; reply

English (for the teacher)

When Mark first came to Beijing, he ran into Auntie Wang every morning on his way downstairs. Auntie Wang always smiled and asked him, “Have you eaten?” Mark answered seriously, “Not yet. There’s only one egg in the fridge, and I don’t know where to go for breakfast.” Auntie Wang listened, said “Oh,” and walked off.

In fact, Auntie Wang didn’t really want to know whether he had eaten. “Have you eaten?” often isn’t a real question, just a way of saying hi, much like “hello”. When someone asks you this, just say, “I have, and you?” Even if they haven’t eaten, lots of people still say “I have”. Saying “Not yet” is fine too, just don’t say too much.

When Chinese people meet, they often ask other “questions” like this too. You head out the door with your bag, and your neighbour asks, “Off to work?” You’re walking through your neighbourhood, and a friend asks, “Where are you off to?” You can just say, “Popping out.” When you get home in the evening, your family says, “You’re back?” They all mean the same thing: I see you.

So why is it about eating? One common explanation is that in the past many people didn’t have enough to eat, so asking “Have you eaten?” when you met was like asking how someone was really doing. Today everyone has enough to eat, but the phrase is still around, though young people don’t say it much any more.

The next morning, Auntie Wang asked again, “Have you eaten?” Mark said right away, “I have, and you?” In fact he still hadn’t eaten. Auntie Wang beamed. “Look at this kid, his Chinese is great!”