So the phrase “你吃饭了吗” I know means literally “have you eaten,” but I also know that it is often used like a passing hello. An acceptably ordinary response would be “吃了,” or “I have.” Like saying “not much” in response to “what’s up?”
But here is my question:
If a guy is walking briskly past you and throws out a friendly “你吃饭了吗” but you have not, as a matter of fact, 吃饭了’ed, do you stop him from the jog he is taking to tell him all the details about how and why you have not eaten yet, or do you just say that you have, smile, nod and walk away? What if he spots you five minutes later digging into a bowl of 饭? Then you have explaining to do!
Is it like in English where if you ask someone how they’re doing just as a greeting and then the other person decides to share ther life story with you, whether you actually wanted to hear it or not?
In the old famine-plaqued China, having a full stomach wasn’t a guaranteed thing so, the phrased was a form of social greeting and if you asked and the greeted is hungry, I think you are supposed to offer the next meal!
Well,actually,a question like 你吃饭了吗 in China is just like ‘Fine weather,isn’t it?’in Britain,it depends on how you deal with it.