吃醋
chī cù
In Chinese, the word for jealous is 吃醋 (chī cù).
The phrase 吃醋 is an informal phrase used to express jealousy in a romantic context.
Meaning: envious, feeling resentful of someone for a perceived advantage, material or otherwise (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 吃醋 literally translates to "to eat vinegar."
Which one should you use?
While 吃醋 is used for romantic jealousy, 嫉妒 (jídù) is the more appropriate term for general envy or resentment of someone's advantages.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
吃醋 is a colloquial and slightly playful way to express jealousy in a relationship. In contrast, 嫉妒 (jí dù) is a formal way to say jealous.
How do you pronounce it?
chī cù
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, calling someone a 'vinegar jar' 醋坛子 describes a person who is habitually jealous or easily provoked in a relationship.
- While English speakers might 'burn' with jealousy, Chinese speakers 'eat' their way through it, replacing the sensation of heat with the sensation of a sharp, stinging taste.
- The concept of 吃醋 is so ingrained that the image of vinegar is often used in Chinese emojis or illustrations to signify a character is feeling jealous.
Examples in context
- 他跟其他女生說話我會吃醋。I get jealous when he talks to other girls.This sentence shows how to use 吃醋 to describe feeling jealous when a partner speaks to others.Tatoeba #14007080 by LeviHighway, translation #2871339 by Hybrid
- 我嫉妒她的才华。I'm jealous of her talent.
- 他因为我的成功而忌妒我。He is jealous of my success.
- 别吃醋了，我只是和她聊天而已。Don't be jealous, I was just chatting with her.
- 我有点儿嫉妒 / 羡慕你的幸福生活。I feel a bit jealous/admiring of your happy life.
- 別為了這點小事吃醋。bié wèi le zhè diǎn xiǎo shì chī cù.Don't get jealous over such a small matter.
- 看到他送花給她，我真的很吃醋。kàn dào tā sòng huā gěi tā, wǒ zhēn de hěn chī cù.I was really jealous when I saw him giving her flowers.
Example conversation
A couple is having a playful argument about a mutual friend.
- 俊杰 Junjie你是不是在吃醋呀？nǐ shì bú shì zài chī cù ya?Are you being jealous?
- 梓涵 Zihan我沒有，你別亂想。wǒ méi yǒu, nǐ bié luàn xiǎng.I'm not, don't overthink it.
- 俊杰 Junjie我看你臉都紅了。wǒ kàn nǐ liǎn dōu hóng le.I can see your face turning red.
- 梓涵 Zihan算你厲害，我真的不吃醋。suàn nǐ lì hài, wǒ zhēn de bù chī cù.You win, I'm really not jealous.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
