Today’s idiom:
Word Breakdown
一口 (yìkǒu) one bite
吃 (chī) v. eat
不成 (bùchéng) won’t make / unable to
个 *(gè) measure word (for pangzi in this phrase)
- 胖子 (pàngzi) fat man
Quick Answer
Definition & Usage
The idiom “一口吃不成个胖子” literally means one bite won’t make you a fat man, actually, it means nothing can be accomplished in one single effort, people have to do things step by step. Chinese people also say “饭要一口一口地吃” , the literal meaning is “you should eat your meal in bites one by one, it tells people that one should do his job or achieve his goal step by step, don’t push it.
There is an English idiom “biting off more than you can chew”. The situation of using this idiom is the same as that of the saying “一口吃不成个胖子”.
Grammar points “成” and “不成”
“成” in the phrase “吃不成” serves as a result complement结果补语 (jiéguǒ bǔyǔ), you can translate it into “into” or “become”.
In the phrase “吃成一个胖子”, 成 indicates the result of the action “eating too much”, that is someone eats too much that he becomes a fat man. To negate the result complement “成”, we use “不成” other than “没成”. Remember that 不 negates verbs about the present or future, whereas 没有 is used for things in the past. Meanwhile, 没成 in Chinese means “doesn’t work” or “doesn’t succeed”.吃不成个胖子 means to eat but can’t become a fat man.
Example Sentences
做事要有耐心，一口吃不成个胖子。
Zuòshì yào yǒu nàixīn, yìkǒu chī bùchéng gè pàngzi.
Be patient when working on things, you can’t become a fat man with one bite.
一个月减二十斤？这样可不行，一口吃不成个胖子， 减肥要慢慢来。
Yígè yuè jiǎn èrshí jīn? Zhèyàng kě bùxíng, yìkǒu chī bùchéng gè pàngzi, jiǎnféi yào màn man lái.
Lose ten kilograms in one month? Don’t do that, you can’t become a fat man with one bite, you must take your time to lose weight.
你刚出院就要参加马拉松比赛？不行，一口吃不成个胖子，身体要一点一点恢复。
Nǐ gāng chūyuàn jiù yào cānjiā mǎlāsōng bǐsài? Bùxíng, yìkǒu chī bùchéng gè pàngzi, shēntǐ yào yì diǎn yì diǎn huīfù.
Are you running a marathon right out of the hospital? No, you can’t become a fat man with a single bite, your body needs to recover bit by bit.