Hello, everyone. Here is Miracle Mandarin.
Westerners like dogs, and there are many ‘dog’ related expressions. The Chinese know that ‘food is the god of the people’, and in China eating is a very important matter, so in Mandarin Chinese there are many interesting expressions related to eating.
If you have a sweet-heart, and they go out by themselves with someone and you’re not happy about it, we say: you’re eating vinegar (you’re jealous).
If you quit a job and leave the place where you were working, then shortly after want to return, we call this: ‘grazing on old pasture’. When, after breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, you then want to get back together again, that’s also called ‘grazing on old pasture’. In Chinese there is also the saying – ‘a good horse doesn’t graze on old pasture’. If you and a nearby colleague begin dating, we call this ‘eating the grass around the nest’. Chinese say ‘rabbits don’t eat the grass around their nest’. This means, don’t start a relationship with a close colleague or fellow-student, because everyone knows each other too well.
If you’re looked upon highly at work, we call this ‘eating fragrant’. If you’re very popular at work, with your boss and colleagues, we call this ‘can start eating’, and the opposite is ‘can’t start eating’.
If you call on someone and they’re not at home, then we say you’ve ‘eaten closed-door soup’.
If you’ve been taken to court as the accused, we say you’re ‘eating a law-suit’. This is the time when you need to hire a lawyer.
If you’ve been injured or have suffered a loss we call this ‘eating a loss’. Sometimes, if you’ve suffered a loss but can’t tell anyone and have to endure it alone, this is called ‘eating a mute loss’. ‘哑巴 – yǎba’ are those people who can’t speak (mutes).
In the workplace, regardless of being male or female, there is the chance that one may encounter ‘sexual harassment’. Chinese call this (being sexually harassed) ‘eating tofu’. In the past, women were harassed by their superiors but didn’t dare say anything for fear of losing their job. This is an example of ‘eating a mute loss’. This situation still exists today.
Do you know any other other expressions related to ‘eating’? Feel welcome to leave a message: www.miraclemandarin.com, and everyone can discuss them together.
