吃豆腐

Chinese

		eat; eradicate; destroy eat; eradicate; destroy; receive; stammer	tofu; bean curd; any food with tofu-like physical quality
simp. and trad. (吃豆腐)		吃	豆腐
Literally: “to eat tofu”.

Etymology

From Qing Dynasty novel 《驚夢啼》, in which many men patronized a tofu business for the opportunity to flirt with the beautiful owner.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chī dòufu

  (Zhuyin): ㄔ ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁷chiq ⁶deu-wu; ⁷chiq-deu-wu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chī dòufu
    • Zhuyin: ㄔ ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chih dòufů
    • Wade–Giles: chʻih¹ tou⁴-fu⁵
    • Yale: chr̄ dòu-fu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chy dow.fu
    • Palladius: чи доуфу (či doufu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ toʊ̯⁵¹ fu¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁷chiq ⁶deu-wu; ⁷chiq-deu-wu
    • MiniDict: chih^入 deu^去 wu; chih^入 deu wu
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴qiq ³deu-hhu; ⁴qiq-deu-hhu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕʰiɪʔ⁴⁴  dɤ²² ɦu⁴⁴/, /t͡ɕʰiɪʔ³³ dɤ⁵⁵ ɦu²¹/

Verb

吃豆腐

1. (slang) to come on to a woman; to flirt; to grope; to touch up

   那個老男人在酒吧裡老想吃我豆腐。 [MSC, trad.]
   那个老男人在酒吧里老想吃我豆腐。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nà ge lǎo nánrén zài jiǔba lǐ lǎo xiǎng chī wǒ dòufǔ. [Pinyin]

   That old man is always trying to paw me at the pub.

2. (slang) to ridicule; to jeer at
3. (slang) to visit the newly bereaved to offer one’s condolences

Usage notes

• This idiom usually only refers to a man taking advantage of a woman in a sexual manner.

Synonyms

• (to come on to a woman): (Cantonese) 食豆腐
• (to visit the newly bereaved): 吃豆腐飯／吃豆腐饭 (chī dòufufàn)