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eat rice

Chinese translation: 吃飽了沒?

03:07 Aug 17, 2009
English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Slang
English term or phrase: eat rice
"Any thing new? Did you eat rice today?"

What does that mean by "eat rice"?

Thanks!
Peggy Huang
United States
Local time: 04:49
Chinese translation:吃飽了沒?
Explanation:

I think it was translated from “吃飽了沒?” (a very common greeting among Chinese, just like “How are you doing today?”, “What's up?” or “How's it going?”

Please see the joking greeting in someone's Myspace:

---Did You Eat Rice Today?
---~No.....? (chuckling)
---I did, I'm Chinese! (lol).

It's just a guess and for your reference only.
Selected response from:

Shirley Chen
United States
Local time: 03:49
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2my explaination about "eat rice" in this context.
Ying Tian
3 +2吃飽了沒?
Shirley Chen
4吃飯
Gertrude Tsau


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
吃飽了沒?


Explanation:

I think it was translated from “吃飽了沒?” (a very common greeting among Chinese, just like “How are you doing today?”, “What's up?” or “How's it going?”

Please see the joking greeting in someone's Myspace:

---Did You Eat Rice Today?
---~No.....? (chuckling)
---I did, I'm Chinese! (lol).

It's just a guess and for your reference only.


Shirley Chen
United States
Local time: 03:49
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much Shirley and thank you all!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Guei Lin
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Guei.
agree  Kathy Huang (X)
16 hrs
  -> Thank you, Kathy.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
my explaination about "eat rice" in this context.


Explanation:
"Eat rice" here means "你吃饭了没?" which has a function of greetings. Go back to harder days in China, due to the lack of food (mainly rice), concern about if others have eaten rice or not is a away to show your solicitude for them. from then on it has become a greetings among people. It has the similar function as British people talking about weather as their opening of a conversation.

Ying Tian
Australia
Local time: 18:49
Native speaker of: Chinese
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much, Ying!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wilman: This is a very common greeting in Cantonese.
4 days
agree  Gertrude Tsau
6 days
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6 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
吃飯


Explanation:
你今天吃飯了沒有?

吃飯 means eat meal whether you actually eat bread, or pizza or whatever to fill your stomack for meal.
"吃飯了沒有?" or " 吃飽了沒?" ( Taiwan) is a greeting.

Gertrude Tsau
United States
Local time: 03:49
Native speaker of: Chinese
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much, Gertrude!

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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