饕餮

tāotiè

noun

Meanings

1 taotie — mythical gluttonous beast
2 zoomorphic mask motif on Shang and Zhou bronzes
3 a glutton (figurative)
4 lavish (of a feast)

Characters

greedy for wealth

greedy for food

Examples

商周青铜器上常见饕餮纹。

Shāng Zhōu qīngtóngqì shàng cháng jiàn tāotiè wén.

The taotie motif is common on Shang and Zhou bronze vessels.

这场婚宴简直是一顿饕餮大餐。

Zhè chǎng hūnyàn jiǎnzhí shì yī dùn tāotiè dàcān.

This wedding banquet is an absolute feast.

他是个十足的饕餮之徒。

Tā shì ge shízú de tāotiè zhī tú.

He's an utter glutton.

Tips

history

Per 《左传·文公十八年》, 饕 (tāo) means greed for wealth and 餮 (tiè) greed for food. Tradition lists 饕餮 as one of the 四凶 (sì xiōng, 'Four Fiends') of Yao and Shun's age. Its bug-eyed mask — symmetrical face, no body — stares out from the most famous Shang ritual bronzes (e.g. Hubei Provincial Museum's 饕餮纹方鼎).

memory

Both characters share the 食 (shí, 'eat') radical hidden in 飠 — a built-in clue that this beast is all about devouring.

In Pop Culture

长城 Chángchéng

The Great Wall (2016 film)

Zhang Yimou's monster movie starring Matt Damon: the Great Wall is humanity's last defense against swarms of 饕餮 attacking every 60 years.

Stroke Order

饕 tāo

餮 tiè