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脑满肠肥

腦滿腸肥
nǎomǎnchángféi
idiom #37,448

Meanings

  1. 1 fat-headed and pot-bellied
  2. 2 (idiom) overweight from a life of luxury and idleness
  3. 3 (derogatory) bloated and well-fed (of corrupt elites)

Examples

那些脑满肠肥的官员只顾自己享受。
Nàxiē nǎomǎnchángféi de guānyuán zhǐgù zìjǐ xiǎngshòu.
Those bloated, self-indulgent officials care only about their own enjoyment.
他被画成一个脑满肠肥的财主。
Tā bèi huà chéng yí ge nǎomǎnchángféi de cáizhǔ.
He was depicted as a fat-cat landlord stuffed full from idle living.

Tips

history
Recorded in the 北齐书·琅邪王俨传 (Běi Qí Shū · Lángyá Wáng Yǎn Zhuàn, 'Book of Northern Qi, Biography of Prince Yan of Langye'): 琅邪王年少，肠肥脑满，轻为举措 — describing the young prince as 'pot-bellied and fat-headed, careless in his decisions.' The original word order was 肠肥脑满 (chángféi-nǎomǎn); the modern form swapped them.
register
Always derogatory and vivid — used to mock the rich-and-idle, corrupt officials, or oppressive landlords. Strong enough that you wouldn't apply it to a friend; literary register, common in op-ed writing and political satire.

Stroke Order

脑 nǎo
满 mǎn
肠 cháng
肥 féi