greetings

A French client asked me last week: "Why does everyone keep asking if I have eaten? Is it a trick question?" She had been in Beijing for three days and every local she met greeted her with "你吃了吗" (have you eaten?). The hotel front desk, the vegetable vendor, even the security guard at the Forbidden City. I explained: it is not an invitation to eat. It is the Chinese version of "how are you." We ask about food because for centuries, having enough to eat was the most important concern. The question means "I care about your wellbeing." The correct answer is just "吃了" (yes, I have eaten) or "还没吃" (not yet) — and then you move on. She found it charming. By the end of her trip she was greeting people with "你吃了吗" herself. Her Chinese was terrible but nobody cared — they just smiled because she was playing the game. Three phrases I make every client learn: 谢谢 (thank you), 多少钱 (how much), and 我吃了 (I have eaten). The third one always gets the biggest smiles.