Catch Phrase | 四脚吞金兽(sìjiǎo tūnjīnshòu)

Writer: Debra Li  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-09-17

Meaning:

“四脚” means “four-legged,” “吞金” means “to eat gold,” and “兽” means “beast.” This term, which caught on after a funny short video went viral at the end of 2018, is used jokingly by parents to refer to their kids. It originally referred to babies who crawl on all fours and now can refer to anyone who still depend on their parents financially. The term, literally translated as “four-legged gold eater,” alludes to the high cost of raising a kid nowadays in Chinese cities.

Example:

A: 听说你买了新车,是特斯拉吗?

Tīngshuō nǐ mǎile xīnchē,shì tèsīlā ma?

They say you’ve bought a new car. Is it a Tesla?

B: 我家里两只四脚吞金兽,哪还有钱买特斯拉?我买了比亚迪。

Wǒ jiālǐ liǎngzhī sìjiǎo tūnjīnshòu,nǎ hái yǒu qián mǎi tèsīlā?Wǒ mǎi le bǐyàdí。

I’ve got two kids to raise, how can I afford a Tesla? I bought a BYD car.