Have you ever been this girl?
There was a girl making her way down the street one day. An attractive young man caught her eye. She walked, needing to put her foot onto the curb and ended up tripping over herself.
Have you ever been this boy?
A boy sat in school. In front of him was one of the prettiest girls in the class. When the teacher called his name to answer a question. He didn’t hear her, as he was staring blankly at the girl. The teacher caught him and told him to get his eyes off her and focus on the chalkboard. Everyone in the class laughed.
What Chinese word can you use to describe these people?
“花痴 (huāchī) anthomaniac.”
It means to be smitten with someone; obsessive love (slang); a general state of boy/girl-craziness.
花 (huā): flower(n.); coloured(adj.);
痴 (chī): crazy about; infatuated(adj.).
In China we use it to describe someone who has a strong obsession, or strong feelings for something or someone. They have such strong feelings, they often do abnormal things to express them.
When can you use this word?
When it comes to using a word like “花痴 (huāchī)”, or any popular slang word, it’s best to look at context and the reality of the situation that’s being described rather than stick to a strict, 1-to-1 word correspondence.
“花痴 (huāchī)” can be directed towards:
1. A specific person.
2. A specific behavior.
3. A general state of being.
It also can be used as:
1. A noun. “花痴 (huāchī)” is the equivalent of “someone who is boy or girl crazy.”
Example:
Nǐ zhēn shì yí gè huāchī, kànjiàn shuàigē jiù zǒu bú dòng le.
你 真 是 一 个 花痴， 看见 帅哥 就 走 不 动 了。
You can’t take your eyes away from the handsome boy when you see them.
2. An adjective, the general state of boy-craziness/girl-craziness.
Example:
Jerry de huāchī bìng yòu fàn le.
Jerry 的 花痴 病 又 犯 了。
Jerry was in the general state of boy-craziness again.
Who uses this word?
This Mandarin Chinese word is used in daily life, and quite often amongst the younger generation. They often use it to poke fun at each other.
1. Which of the following person is a “花痴 (huāchī)”？
A. Jenny hit the glass door because she didn’t take her eyes off a handsome boy.
B. Jim bought many beautiful roses for his girlfriend.
C. Cindy wears colorful dresses everyday.
Becky Zhang is a teacher at eChineseLearning.com. She has over eight years of experience teaching Mandarin Chinese to foreign students and promoting Chinese culture. She lives in Beijing but loves traveling to ancient Chinese villages. One day she’d like to be a tour guide in China!
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