In 2018, we were fortunate to have an opportunity to visit Beijing for a week, followed by a visit to Taipei for another week. We had our friend who was born and raised in Taipei as a guide for most of the trip. I spent a few days in cooking classes, and that’s where I learned about this traditional greeting. It really made an impression on me. The greeting is not commonly used today. It is mainly relegated to the older generations. China’s population has become much wealthier in the current generation. Let’s contemplate the significance the greeting once had.
In the United States, we like to use “How are you?” as a friendly greeting. But consider if you are poor, and you are greeting someone else who is also poor. If you are poor, food and shelter are your primary concerns. “Have you eaten?” is a laser focused “How are you?” If you have eaten, you are doing as well as can be expected. If you have not eaten, then there is an opportunity to offer help by sharing a meal. That’s potent stuff.
I took a closer look at the language, as I wanted to be able to speak this greeting, and understand it’s roots a little bit more.
- 你 – pronounced: Nǐ, meaning: you
- 吃 – pronounced: Chī, meaning: eat
- 了- pronounced: Le, meaning: up
- 吗 – pronounced: Ma, meaning: is it?
The greeting can be made formally or informally. The formal greeting, Nǐ chī le ma?, is used when speaking to strangers or those who command respect. Informally, the “you” is implied, and hence the nǐ is dropped. Chī le ma? would be used amongst family, friends, and acquaintances. For an in depth discussion of the phrase, you can read this post on the TutorMing Mandarin learning tips blog. You can also watch this 20 second Youtube video for help with the pronunciation.
