大吃大喝 Dà chī dà hē eat and drink to excess

Explanation

指毫无节制地大量吃喝。多用于贬义，形容贪婪、放纵的行为。

It refers to eating and drinking a lot without any restraint. It's mostly used in a negative way to describe greedy and indulgent behavior.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，长安城里有一位富商，名叫李员外。李员外家财万贯，平日里就喜欢大吃大喝，挥金如土。他每日三餐，都摆满山珍海味，各种珍奇异果应有尽有。不仅如此，他还经常邀请亲朋好友到府上赴宴，宴席之上，更是酒肉穿肠过，好不热闹。一日，李员外又大摆宴席，宾客云集。席间，他指着满桌的佳肴美酒，豪气冲天地说："今日我等，便要大吃大喝一番！"宾客们纷纷举杯，欢声笑语不断。然而，好景不长，一场突如其来的瘟疫席卷了长安城，许多人因此丧命。李员外因平日里大吃大喝，身体虚弱，也未能幸免于难。他临终前，后悔莫及，感叹道："唉，我这一生，只知道大吃大喝，荒淫无度，如今却落得如此下场，真是自作自受啊！"

Huàshuō Tángcháo shíqī, Cháng'ān chéng lǐ yǒu yī wèi fùshāng, míng jiào Lǐ yuánwài. Lǐ yuánwài jiā cái wàn guàn, píng rì lǐ jiù xǐhuan dà chī dà hē, huī jīn rú tǔ. Tā měi rì sān cān, dōu bǎi mǎn shān zhēn hǎi wèi, gè zhǒng zhēnqí yìguǒ yīng yǒu jìn yǒu. Bù jǐn rú cǐ, tā hái jīngcháng yāoqǐng qīnpéng hǎoyǒu dào fǔ shàng fù yàn, yàn xí zhī shàng, gèng shì jiǔròu chuān cháng guò, hǎo bù rènao. Yī rì, Lǐ yuánwài yòu dà bǎi yàn xí, bīn kè yún jí. Xí jiān, tā zhǐzhe mǎn zhuō de jiāyáo měijiǔ, háoqì chōng tiān de shuō: 'Jīn rì wǒ děng, biàn yào dà chī dà hē yī fān!' Bīn kèmen fēnfēn jǔ bēi, huānshēng xiàoyǔ bù duàn. Rán'ér, hǎojǐng bù cháng, yī chǎng tū rú qí lái de wényì xíjuǎn le Cháng'ān chéng, xǔduō rén yīncǐ sàng mìng. Lǐ yuánwài yīn píng rì lǐ dà chī dà hē, shēntǐ xūruò, yě wèi néng xìngmiǎn yú nán. Tā línzhōng qián, hòuhuǐ mòjí, gǎntàn dào: 'Āi, wǒ zhè yī shēng, zhǐ zhīdào dà chī dà hē, huāngyín wú dū, rújīn què luò de rúcǐ xià chǎng, zhēnshi zìzuò zì shòu a!'

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a wealthy merchant in Chang'an named Li Yuanwai. Li Yuanwai had a vast fortune and enjoyed eating and drinking lavishly, spending money like water. His three daily meals were always filled with delicacies and exotic fruits. Moreover, he frequently hosted banquets for his friends and relatives, where alcohol and meat flowed freely. One day, Li Yuanwai held another grand banquet, with many guests in attendance. During the banquet, he pointed to the abundance of delicious food and wine and said with great gusto, "Today, we shall feast and drink heartily!" The guests raised their cups and merry laughter filled the air. However, this good fortune was short-lived, as a sudden epidemic swept through Chang'an, claiming many lives. Li Yuanwai, weakened by his habitual overindulgence in food and drink, did not survive. Before he died, he deeply regretted his actions, lamenting, "Alas, all my life, I only knew how to feast and drink, living a life of debauchery; now I have met such an end. I have brought this upon myself!"

Usage

用于形容吃喝的程度和规模，可以是褒义或贬义，具体含义取决于语境。

Yòng yú xiángróng chīhē de chéngdù hé guīmó, kěyǐ shì bāoyì huò biǎnyì, jùtǐ hányì qǔjué yú yǔjìng.

Used to describe the extent and scale of eating and drinking; can be positive or negative, depending on the context.

Examples

• 节日聚餐，大家大吃大喝，好不热闹。

  Jieri jùcān, dàjiā dà chī dà hē, hǎo bù rènao.

  We decided to have a lavish meal at a high-end restaurant to celebrate the year-end bonus.

• 年终奖金发了，我们决定去高档餐厅大吃大喝一顿。

  Niánzhōng jiǎngjīn fāle, wǒmen juédìng qù gāodàng cāntīng dà chī dà hē yīdùn

  The festival dinner was very lively, everyone ate and drank heartily.

Related Idioms

• 胡吃海喝

• 暴饮暴食

Opposite Idioms

• 节衣缩食

• 忍饥挨饿