The Chinese word **饭桶 (fàntǒng)** is a compound noun formed by combining **饭 (fàn)**, meaning "cooked rice" or "meal," with **桶 (tǒng)**, meaning "bucket" or "pail." Literally, it refers to a "rice bucket," a container for holding food. However, its common and vivid figurative meaning arises from metaphor: just as a bucket holds rice passively without intelligence or skill, calling a person a **饭桶** implies they are a "good-for-nothing" or an "idiot"—someone who merely consumes food (like a human rice bucket) but is incompetent, useless, or foolish, emphasizing a lack of capability or contribution beyond basic consumption.