chī gǒu liáng: 吃狗粮 - "Eating Dog Food" (Slang for Witnessing PDA)

• Keywords: 吃狗粮, chī gǒu liáng, eat dog food Chinese slang, what does chi gou liang mean, Chinese internet slang, PDA in Chinese, third wheel in Chinese, 单身狗, dān shēn gǒu, single dog, 秀恩爱, xiù ēn'ài
• Summary: “Chī gǒu liáng” (吃狗粮) is a popular Chinese internet slang term that literally translates to “to eat dog food.” It's a humorous expression used by single people to describe the feeling of watching couples display public affection (PDA), either in person or on social media. This phrase is closely tied to the self-deprecating slang “single dog” (单身狗). This entry explains the cultural context behind this modern term and provides practical examples of how to use it in everyday conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): chī gǒu liáng
• Part of Speech: Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: N/A (Modern Slang)
• Concise Definition: (For a single person) to witness a couple's public display of affection.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine you're single, and your friends who are a couple start being cute and romantic right in front of you. In Chinese slang, you'd jokingly complain that you are “eating dog food.” The idea comes from another slang term, “single dog” (单身狗, dān shēn gǒu), where single people humorously refer to themselves as dogs. Therefore, the affection shown by couples is the “dog food” that the single “dog” is forced to watch them enjoy. It’s a funny, light-hearted way to express a mix of envy and amusement.

• 吃 (chī): To eat. A fundamental character composed of 口 (kǒu, mouth) and a phonetic component.
• 狗 (gǒu): Dog. The left-side radical 犭(quǎn) is used for many animal-related characters.
• 粮 (liáng): Grain, provisions, or food (especially for soldiers or animals). The 米 (mǐ, rice) radical on the left indicates its connection to food.

When combined literally, the phrase means “to eat dog food.” The modern slang meaning is entirely metaphorical and relies on understanding the related cultural concept of “single dog.”

The term “吃狗粮” is a window into modern Chinese youth and internet culture. Its meaning is built on the foundation of “单身狗 (dān shēn gǒu) - single dog,” a self-deprecating but widely used nickname for single people. In a society where there can be significant family and social pressure to be in a relationship and get married, calling oneself a “single dog” is a humorous coping mechanism. It creates a sense of camaraderie among singles. “吃狗粮” is the natural extension of this idea. If singles are “dogs,” then the love and affection that couples share is their “food.”

• Comparison to Western Culture: The closest English equivalent is being a “third wheel.” However, “吃狗粮” is broader and more versatile.
  • Physical Presence: Being a “third wheel” usually implies you are physically present with a couple, making things potentially awkward. You can “吃狗粮” without even being there—for example, just by scrolling through a friend's romantic vacation photos on social media.
  • Connotation: “Third wheel” often carries a slightly negative or awkward feeling. “吃狗粮” is almost always used in a joking, light-hearted manner. It's less about being an awkward appendage and more about passively and humorously “consuming” the couple's affection from the sidelines.

“吃狗粮” is highly informal and is used constantly among young people in casual settings.

• On Social Media: This is its most common habitat. People will comment “我来吃狗粮了” (“I've come to eat dog food”) on a friend's post with their significant other. They might also post a picture of a couple they see in public with a caption like “又吃了一天狗粮” (“Ate dog food again all day”).
• In Conversation: A friend might complain jokingly, “别秀恩爱了，我不想吃狗粮！” (“Stop showing off your love, I don't want to eat dog food!”).
• Connotation: It's used to express mock envy or to gently tease a couple. The tone is self-deprecating and fun, not genuinely bitter or angry.

• Example 1:
  • 别在朋友圈秀恩爱了，我们这些单身狗又要吃狗粮了！
  • Pinyin: Bié zài péngyǒuquān xiù ēn'ài le, wǒmen zhèxiē dānshēn gǒu yòu yào chī gǒu liáng le!
  • English: Stop showing off your relationship on social media, we single dogs have to eat dog food again!
  • Analysis: A classic, humorous complaint used as a comment online. “秀恩爱 (xiù ēn'ài)” is the act that “feeds” the dog food.
• Example 2:
  • A: 你情人节打算怎么过？ B: 待在家里，我可不想出门吃狗粮。
  • Pinyin: A: Nǐ Qíngrénjié dǎsuàn zěnme guò? B: Dāi zài jiālǐ, wǒ kě bù xiǎng chūmén chī gǒu liáng.
  • English: A: What are your plans for Valentine's Day? B: Staying home, I really don't want to go out and eat dog food.
  • Analysis: This shows how the term is used to describe avoiding situations where one might see many happy couples.
• Example 3:
  • 你们俩在我面前这么亲密，是故意喂我吃狗粮吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐmen liǎ zài wǒ miànqián zhème qīnmì, shì gùyì wèi wǒ chī gǒu liáng ma?
  • English: Are you two being so intimate in front of me on purpose to feed me dog food?
  • Analysis: A playful accusation directed at a couple. The verb “喂 (wèi)” means “to feed,” making the metaphor even more explicit.
• Example 4:
  • 这部爱情电影太甜了，看得我吃了一大堆狗粮。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù àiqíng diànyǐng tài tián le, kàn de wǒ chī le yī dà duī gǒu liáng.
  • English: This romance movie is so sweet, watching it made me eat a huge pile of dog food.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates that you can “eat dog food” even from fictional characters. “甜 (tián)” meaning “sweet” is often used to describe romantic stories.
• Example 5:
  • 我的室友天天跟她男朋友打电话，我被迫吃狗粮。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de shìyǒu tiāntiān gēn tā nánpéngyǒu dǎ diànhuà, wǒ bèi pò chī gǒu liáng.
  • English: My roommate calls her boyfriend every day, and I'm forced to eat dog food.
  • Analysis: The phrase “被迫 (bèi pò)” means “to be forced,” adding to the humorous helplessness of the situation.
• Example 6:
  • A: 你看，那对情侣好可爱啊！ B: 好了好了，别看了，这狗粮我吃饱了。
  • Pinyin: A: Nǐ kàn, nà duì qínglǚ hǎo kě'ài a! B: Hǎo le hǎo le, bié kàn le, zhè gǒu liáng wǒ chī bǎo le.
  • English: A: Look, that couple is so cute! B: Okay, okay, stop looking. I'm full from this dog food.
  • Analysis: A funny way to say “I've had enough.” “吃饱了 (chī bǎo le)” means to be full from eating.
• Example 7:
  • 祝你们幸福！我先干了这碗狗粮！
  • Pinyin: Zhù nǐmen xìngfú! Wǒ xiān gān le zhè wǎn gǒu liáng!
  • English: I wish you two happiness! I'll “cheers” this bowl of dog food!
  • Analysis: This cleverly borrows language from toasting culture (“干了” means to drain your glass) and applies it to “eating dog food,” often used to congratulate a couple on an engagement or wedding announcement.
• Example 8:
  • 单身狗的日常就是看别人撒狗粮，然后自己默默吃狗粮。
  • Pinyin: Dānshēn gǒu de rìcháng jiùshì kàn biérén sā gǒu liáng, ránhòu zìjǐ mòmò chī gǒu liáng.
  • English: The daily life of a single dog is watching others sprinkle dog food, and then quietly eating dog food yourself.
  • Analysis: This sentence introduces the corresponding term “撒狗粮 (sā gǒu liáng),” which means “to sprinkle dog food” - the action the couple does.
• Example 9:
  • 我再也不跟你们这对情侣一起出来了，一路都在吃狗粮。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zài yě bù gēn nǐmen zhè duì qínglǚ yīqǐ chūlái le, yīlù dōu zài chī gǒu liáng.
  • English: I'm never going out with you two as a couple again, I was eating dog food the whole way.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of how “吃狗粮” functions as the Chinese equivalent of being a “third wheel.”
• Example 10:
  • 今天的狗粮有点多，我需要消化一下。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān de gǒu liáng yǒudiǎn duō, wǒ xūyào xiāohuà yīxià.
  • English: There was a little too much dog food today, I need to digest it.
  • Analysis: A very common and humorous way to cap off a day of seeing too much PDA, posted online or said to a friend.

• It's Not Literal: The biggest mistake is to misunderstand this as a phrase about actual animals or pet food. It is 100% slang and only used in the context of human relationships.
• Context is Everything: This phrase is exclusively about a single person witnessing romantic affection. You cannot use it for other types of envy.
  • Incorrect: 我朋友买了一辆新车，我真是吃狗粮了。(Wǒ péngyǒu mǎi le yī liàng xīnchē, wǒ zhēnshi chī gǒu liáng le.) → “My friend bought a new car, I'm really eating dog food.” (This is wrong. It's envy, but not romantic.)
  • Correct: 我朋友和他女朋友开着新车去约会，我真是吃狗粮了。(Wǒ péngyǒu hé tā nǚpéngyǒu kāizhe xīnchē qù yuēhuì, wǒ zhēnshi chī gǒu liáng le.) → “My friend and his girlfriend went on a date in their new car, I'm really eating dog food.” (This is correct because the couple's activity is the focus.)
• Don't Use in Formal Situations: This is highly informal slang. Avoid it in academic writing, business meetings, or when speaking to elders unless you know them very well and they appreciate modern slang.

• `单身狗` (dān shēn gǒu) - “Single dog.” The foundational term; the person who has to “eat the dog food.”
• `撒狗粮` (sā gǒu liáng) - “To sprinkle dog food.” The action a couple does when they show affection in front of singles. The active counterpart to `吃狗粮`.
• `秀恩爱` (xiù ēn'ài) - “To show off affection.” A slightly more standard way of saying `撒狗粮`.
• `虐狗` (nüè gǒu) - “To abuse dogs.” A more intense version of `撒狗粮`, used when a couple's PDA is so strong it feels like “torture” to the single onlookers.
• `电灯泡` (diàn dēng pào) - “Lightbulb.” The classic, more traditional word for a “third wheel.” It implies someone is awkwardly present with a couple.
• `柠檬精` (níng méng jīng) - “Lemon goblin/spirit.” A popular slang term for a person who gets sour or jealous over anything good that happens to others, not just romance. If you are `吃狗粮`, you might also be a `柠檬精`.
• `脱单` (tuō dān) - “To escape single-dom.” The act of getting into a relationship, the goal of a `单身狗` who is tired of `吃狗粮`.