<blockquote>
<p>蹲下买药是让对方觉得自己病很重，同情自己快点抓药；弯腰挑零食是拿出一副买也行不买也行的姿态，让卖主降价；茶叶说自己喝会便宜一些啦</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The author gives the explanation in the comments.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-25T10:31:52.363Z
作者也許是猜的，如果是無良藥店，你病重就更加以抬價，彎腰挑零食也看不出買方的購物意願.，而且彎着腰也可以是顯示生病的一種體態
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-26T01:01:11.957Z
In case people were curious, the comment translates to: "You should squat to buy medicine because the vendor might think you are very sick and so will more quickly give you the medicine. You should bend over to buy snacks to give off a nonchalant air so the vendor will reduce the price (I have no idea why this is true). And you should say that you are buy tea for yourself to get a better price (there is a culture of buying expensive gifts).
Xin Yuan Li
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-26T13:57:41.687Z
Whether it’s a guess or not, this reasoning quite interestingly highlights a fundamental difference between Chinese and ‘western’ (at least European) mentality. The part about avoiding a premium because you’re buying for a gift would only really apply in a haggling culture to begin with – but I think in most European contexts, people would say that this mother is teaching her children to lie and be dishonest and view her quite negatively; whereas in a Chinese context, most would say that she’s teaching her children to be shrewd and go for the best they can get, and view her positively.
Janus Bahs Jacquet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-25T08:51:25.140Z
2023-10-25T08:51:25.140Z
wznmickey
<p>I can only guess but with sound logic</p>
<blockquote>
<p>蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>squat while buying medicine, stoop while buying junk food</p>
</blockquote>
<p>光顾地摊价格会较平 - The prices will be cheaper if you visit street stalls where the merchandise is displayed at ground level</p>
<blockquote>
<p>买茶要说自己喝。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>say it's for yourself when buying tea.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>说是送礼用的会被劝诱买高价商品 - If you say it is for gift giving, you will be persuaded to buy high-priced products.</p>
<p>总之妈妈就是想要孩子们省钱 - In short, the mother just wants the children to save money.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-25T07:48:11.010Z
2023-10-25T07:48:11.010Z
Tang Ho
<p>Bing Chat had a good take:
The Chinese expression “Mother tells you, squat while buying medicine, stoop while buying junk food, say it’s for yourself when buying tea.” is a proverb that means one should be humble and honest in life. It is based on the idea that when buying medicine, one should squat down to look for the cheapest and most effective one, because health is more important than money. When buying junk food, one should stoop down to hide from others, because junk food is bad for health and shameful to eat. When buying tea, one should say it’s for oneself, because tea is a luxury item and one should not show off or lie about it. The proverb teaches people to value health, avoid waste, and be modest.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-26T13:51:11.737Z
That makes zero sense – Bing Chat is completely lacking logic here. _Squat down to find the cheapest medicine because health is more important than money_ : (1) Why would the cheapest medicine require squatting? (2) If health is more important than money, why look for the cheapest? // _Stoop when buying junk food to hide from others_ : 零食 isn’t junk food and not necessarily unhealthy – plus, stooping won’t hide you from anyone. // _Say tea is for you because it’s a luxury item, don’t show off or lie about it_ : So lie and boast about drinking a luxury item so as not to boast or lie about it?
Janus Bahs Jacquet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-25T16:49:37.770Z
2023-10-25T16:49:37.770Z
George Palickar
<p>I read <a href="https://www.zhihu.com/question/368062487/answer/3258548471" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this Zhihu article</a> which gives advice from different people.  Among the advice is this:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="6">
<li>母亲，告诉你，蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，买茶要说自己喝。</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>Literally it translates to:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="6">
<li>Mother tells you, squat while buying medicine, stoop while buying junk food, say it's for yourself when buying tea.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>While I understand what the words mean, I have no idea what this statement is really getting at.  I asked ChatGPT, and it gave an unhelpful explanation.  I get the feeling there is some slang or Internet jargon being used here.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why does your mother tell you to 蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，买茶要说自己喝?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-26T04:12:28.677Z
the article on this website:  a bad site or a bad article for learning modern Chinese^^
envs_h_gang_5
<meaning>
Why does your mother tell you to 蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，买茶要说自己喝?
# Why does your mother tell you to 蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，买茶要说自己喝?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-10-25)

I read [this Zhihu article](https://www.zhihu.com/question/368062487/answer/3258548471) which gives advice from different people. Among the advice is this:

> 6. 母亲，告诉你，蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，买茶要说自己喝。

Literally it translates to:

> 6. Mother tells you, squat while buying medicine, stoop while buying junk food, say it's for yourself when buying tea.

While I understand what the words mean, I have no idea what this statement is really getting at. I asked ChatGPT, and it gave an unhelpful explanation. I get the feeling there is some slang or Internet jargon being used here.

**Question**: Why does your mother tell you to 蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，买茶要说自己喝?

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: the article on this website:  a bad site or a bad article for learning modern Chinese^^  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-10-25. Score: 4

> 蹲下买药是让对方觉得自己病很重，同情自己快点抓药；弯腰挑零食是拿出一副买也行不买也行的姿态，让卖主降价；茶叶说自己喝会便宜一些啦

The author gives the explanation in the comments.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 作者也許是猜的，如果是無良藥店，你病重就更加以抬價，彎腰挑零食也看不出買方的購物意願.，而且彎着腰也可以是顯示生病的一種體態  
> **username_4**: In case people were curious, the comment translates to: "You should squat to buy medicine because the vendor might think you are very sick and so will more quickly give you the medicine. You should bend over to buy snacks to give off a nonchalant air so the vendor will reduce the price (I have no idea why this is true). And you should say that you are buy tea for yourself to get a better price (there is a culture of buying expensive gifts).  
> **username_5**: Whether it’s a guess or not, this reasoning quite interestingly highlights a fundamental difference between Chinese and ‘western’ (at least European) mentality. The part about avoiding a premium because you’re buying for a gift would only really apply in a haggling culture to begin with – but I think in most European contexts, people would say that this mother is teaching her children to lie and be dishonest and view her quite negatively; whereas in a Chinese context, most would say that she’s teaching her children to be shrewd and go for the best they can get, and view her positively.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-10-25. Score: 3

I can only guess but with sound logic

> 蹲着买药，弯腰买零食，

> squat while buying medicine, stoop while buying junk food

光顾地摊价格会较平 - The prices will be cheaper if you visit street stalls where the merchandise is displayed at ground level

> 买茶要说自己喝。

> say it's for yourself when buying tea.

说是送礼用的会被劝诱买高价商品 - If you say it is for gift giving, you will be persuaded to buy high-priced products.

总之妈妈就是想要孩子们省钱 - In short, the mother just wants the children to save money.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2023-10-25. Score: 2

Bing Chat had a good take:
The Chinese expression “Mother tells you, squat while buying medicine, stoop while buying junk food, say it’s for yourself when buying tea.” is a proverb that means one should be humble and honest in life. It is based on the idea that when buying medicine, one should squat down to look for the cheapest and most effective one, because health is more important than money. When buying junk food, one should stoop down to hide from others, because junk food is bad for health and shameful to eat. When buying tea, one should say it’s for oneself, because tea is a luxury item and one should not show off or lie about it. The proverb teaches people to value health, avoid waste, and be modest.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: That makes zero sense – Bing Chat is completely lacking logic here. _Squat down to find the cheapest medicine because health is more important than money_ : (1) Why would the cheapest medicine require squatting? (2) If health is more important than money, why look for the cheapest? // _Stoop when buying junk food to hide from others_ : 零食 isn’t junk food and not necessarily unhealthy – plus, stooping won’t hide you from anyone. // _Say tea is for you because it’s a luxury item, don’t show off or lie about it_ : So lie and boast about drinking a luxury item so as not to boast or lie about it?  

---

