<p>这些吃的人觉得怎么样?</p>

<p>How do these persons, who eat it, think of it?</p>

<p>这些<strong>用来</strong>吃的人味道不错, 鸡肉味.</p>

<p>These persons who are for eating are not bad, like chicken. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:43:26.953Z
But without 用来 both can be same?
user18349
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T15:03:47.640Z
Without 用来, it means people who eats it always
sfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:38:15.457Z
2017-11-14T14:38:15.457Z
sfy
<p>In the right context, '吃的人‘ can mean 'the person who we are eating'.</p>

<p>Reminds me of that old joke:</p>

<p>2 cannibals are eating a clown, one says to the other, "Does this clown taste funny to you?"</p>

<p>两个食人族正在吃一个小丑，其中一个问另一个：“我们吃的这个小丑，味道有趣吗？”</p>

<p>Very funny in English, not so sure in Chinese， humour does not translate well!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T23:11:12.057Z
That joke is really funny to me!
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T01:10:53.333Z
"Does this clown taste funny to you?": 这个小丑尝(/吃)起来也很搞笑吧？ Maybe, this translation sounds funnier...
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T05:03:32.073Z
lmo, 这顿饭搞笑吗? "Is this a funny dinner?".
sfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T08:30:46.260Z
The point being: a clown should be funny, should make you laugh, but 'a funny taste' means 'a strange or unusual taste', perhaps from food which has gone bad. The 2 senses of 'funny' make the joke funny! I don't know if it is possible to effectively represent these 2 senses in Chinese.
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T11:37:43.890Z
I guess not if this is a pun. at least I can not figure it out.
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T23:08:35.867Z
2017-11-14T23:08:35.867Z
Pedroski
<p>In addition to other answers:</p>

<p>The form "吃的x" is not disambiguated by syntax, but by semantics.</p>

<p>In common sense, a person is not to be eaten, so "吃的人" would only mean "man who eats" (except when there is very explicit context to let it mean otherwise).</p>

<p>On the other side "吃的鱼" would mean "the fish to be eaten".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T01:50:04.397Z
2017-11-15T01:50:04.397Z
fefe
<p>This is an interesting question.</p>

<p>By default, 吃的人 would mean 吃xxx的人， like 吃肉的人. Example, 这东西吃的人很少 means 吃这东西的人很少. </p>

<p>If you truly want to denote 'a person who someone eats', you could say '所吃的人' or '所吃之人'. </p>

<p>One of usage of 所 is to precede a verb to indicate the following object is the receiver or accepter of that action. In this case, 所吃的人, 吃 is a verb and 人 is the target. So, 所吃的人 clearly denotes 'a person who was eaten'. </p>

<p>Here is some examples:</p>

<p>他所吃的人 // the one who he ate;</p>

<p>你知道他所吃的人是谁吗？ // do you know the person who he ate?</p>

<p>On top of that, if you say 吃的东西(食物)， it would mean 所吃的东西(食物)--something（food） that was eaten. Like, 我们吃的东西==我们所吃的东西==something we eat.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T03:27:34.287Z
2017-11-15T03:36:41.047Z
2017-11-15T03:36:41.047Z
dan
<p>probably, you mean that a man is eating. we usually say: 那个人正在吃东西，but we don't say: 那个在吃的人. I'm a native speaker of Chinese, hope it will help.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-15T04:10:25.773Z
2017-11-15T04:10:25.773Z
Jun
<p>Can 吃的人 mean both a person who eats something and a person who someone eats?
If a subject or a object is omitted.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:18:46.353Z
it would seem so, analogous to  吃的东西，所吃的东西，for greater clarity indicate agent using 被 （along with 给 in front of verb 吃）（or e.g. 叫某动物给吃的人）： 被动物（人／酸）（给）吃的人，also note that the 被 （formal) has been replacing the notional passive more and more
 also it seems somewhat unusual to say just 吃的人 （for "the one that eats"), note e.g. 很能吃的人; also ichacha: 好吃的人    fresser
考究吃的人    free-liver
口吃的人    stammerer
贪吃的人    chowhound; glutton; locust; swallower
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:19:47.163Z
Can I say 在吃的人?
user18349
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:20:04.957Z
A person who is eating something
user18349
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:20:15.757Z
exactly, maybe even 正在吃的人
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:21:29.557Z
A person who will eat something and a person who eats something are same into 吃的人?
user18349
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:26:51.040Z
And I saw someone say 人吃饭 or 吃人  Are they possible?
user18349
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:32:57.650Z
exactly, use 吃饭 for the eating person:
  正在吃饭的人, editor's  warning to avoid lengthy discussions seems overdue
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:34:25.937Z
Nono I mean 人正在吃饭
user18349
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-14T14:35:04.680Z
I saw a noun is in front of something
user18349
<word-choice><word>
Can 吃的人 mean both a person who eats something and a person who someone eats?
# Can 吃的人 mean both a person who eats something and a person who someone eats?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-14)

Can 吃的人 mean both a person who eats something and a person who someone eats?
If a subject or a object is omitted.

**Tags:** word-choice, word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: it would seem so, analogous to  吃的东西，所吃的东西，for greater clarity indicate agent using 被 （along with 给 in front of verb 吃）（or e.g. 叫某动物给吃的人）： 被动物（人／酸）（给）吃的人，also note that the 被 （formal) has been replacing the notional passive more and more  also it seems somewhat unusual to say just 吃的人 （for "the one that eats"), note e.g. 很能吃的人; also ichacha: 好吃的人    fresser 考究吃的人    free-liver 口吃的人    stammerer 贪吃的人    chowhound; glutton; locust; swallower  
> **username_0**: Can I say 在吃的人?  
> **username_0**: A person who is eating something  
> **username_1**: exactly, maybe even 正在吃的人  
> **username_0**: A person who will eat something and a person who eats something are same into 吃的人?  
> **username_0**: And I saw someone say 人吃饭 or 吃人  Are they possible?  
> **username_1**: exactly, use 吃饭 for the eating person:   正在吃饭的人, editor's  warning to avoid lengthy discussions seems overdue  
> **username_0**: Nono I mean 人正在吃饭  
> **username_0**: I saw a noun is in front of something  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-14. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

这些吃的人觉得怎么样?

How do these persons, who eat it, think of it?

这些**用来**吃的人味道不错, 鸡肉味.

These persons who are for eating are not bad, like chicken.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But without 用来 both can be same?  
> **username_2**: Without 用来, it means people who eats it always  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-14. Score: 3

In the right context, '吃的人‘ can mean 'the person who we are eating'.

Reminds me of that old joke:

2 cannibals are eating a clown, one says to the other, "Does this clown taste funny to you?"

两个食人族正在吃一个小丑，其中一个问另一个：“我们吃的这个小丑，味道有趣吗？”

Very funny in English, not so sure in Chinese， humour does not translate well!

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: That joke is really funny to me!  
> **username_4**: "Does this clown taste funny to you?": 这个小丑尝(/吃)起来也很搞笑吧？ Maybe, this translation sounds funnier...  
> **username_2**: lmo, 这顿饭搞笑吗? "Is this a funny dinner?".  
> **username_3**: The point being: a clown should be funny, should make you laugh, but 'a funny taste' means 'a strange or unusual taste', perhaps from food which has gone bad. The 2 senses of 'funny' make the joke funny! I don't know if it is possible to effectively represent these 2 senses in Chinese.  
> **username_4**: I guess not if this is a pun. at least I can not figure it out.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-11-15. Score: 3

In addition to other answers:

The form "吃的x" is not disambiguated by syntax, but by semantics.

In common sense, a person is not to be eaten, so "吃的人" would only mean "man who eats" (except when there is very explicit context to let it mean otherwise).

On the other side "吃的鱼" would mean "the fish to be eaten".


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-11-15. Score: 1

This is an interesting question.

By default, 吃的人 would mean 吃xxx的人， like 吃肉的人. Example, 这东西吃的人很少 means 吃这东西的人很少.

If you truly want to denote 'a person who someone eats', you could say '所吃的人' or '所吃之人'.

One of usage of 所 is to precede a verb to indicate the following object is the receiver or accepter of that action. In this case, 所吃的人, 吃 is a verb and 人 is the target. So, 所吃的人 clearly denotes 'a person who was eaten'.

Here is some examples:

他所吃的人 // the one who he ate;

你知道他所吃的人是谁吗？ // do you know the person who he ate?

On top of that, if you say 吃的东西(食物)， it would mean 所吃的东西(食物)--something（food） that was eaten. Like, 我们吃的东西==我们所吃的东西==something we eat.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2017-11-15. Score: 0

probably, you mean that a man is eating. we usually say: 那个人正在吃东西，but we don't say: 那个在吃的人. I'm a native speaker of Chinese, hope it will help.


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