食人夢 (Dream Eater) Lyrics & Pinyin | Learn Chinese

Mandopop Ballads📅 8/9/2026👁️ 53 views

Interactive Lyrics

📖 Key Vocabulary 20

Core vocabulary featured in this video

CharacterPinyinMeaningLevelActions
哪儿nǎ rwhere HSK 1
知道zhī dàoknow; realize; be aware of HSK 1
告诉gào sùtell; let (make) know HSK 1
普通pǔ tōngmediocre HSK 2
星星xīng xingstar HSK 2
同时tóng shímeanwhile; at the same time HSK 2
那样nà yàngso; such; like that; of that kind HSK 2
重新chóng xīnagain HSK 2
城市chéng shìcity; town HSK 3
简单jiǎn dānsimple; uncomplicated HSK 3
曾经céng jīngonce HSK 3
人生rén shēngstranger (opp. 熟人儿) HSK 3
害怕hài pàto be scared; to be afraid HSK 3
方案fāng ànplan; scheme; programme HSK 4
来不及lái bu jíit's too late; there's no time; there's not enough time (to do sth.) HSK 4
回头huí tóufor the first time HSK 5
灵魂líng húnsoul; spirit HSK 7
对白duì báidialogue (in a novel, film or play) HSK 7
终究zhōng jiūafter all HSK 7
门槛mén kǎnthreshold; doorsill HSK 7

We are always told to chase our dreams, but we rarely talk about the quiet panic when those very dreams begin to consume us. This haunting, late-night anxiety is laid bare in "食人夢" (Dream Eater), a cinematic masterpiece by Vast & Hazy. A prominent Taiwanese indie pop-rock duo formed by lead vocalist Ka-ka and guitarist/producer Lin Yi-chi, Vast & Hazy has become a defining voice in the modern Mandarin indie scene. Known for their dramatic arrangements and Ka-ka’s soaring, emotional vocals, they spin raw vulnerability into anthemic art, making this track the perfect, moody gateway to mastering poetic Mandarin.

If you have ever felt the suffocating weight of your own expectations, "食人夢" will speak directly to your soul. By unpacking its deeply metaphorical lyrics, you won't just connect with a breathtaking piece of Taiwanese indie music—you will naturally absorb expressive Chinese vocabulary, sentence patterns, and emotional nuances that traditional textbooks simply cannot teach.

Quick Info

Song Name 食人夢 (Dream Eater)
Artist Vast & Hazy
Original Singer Original
Release Year 2017
Duration 04:40

The Story Behind the Song

In the neon-lit, hyper-competitive pressure cooker of modern society, the pursuit of dreams has morphed into an agonizing tax on the soul. Vast & Hazy’s "食人夢" (Dream Eater) strips away the romanticism of ambition, exposing a terrifying truth: the very aspirations we nurture can become predatory beasts, slowly devouring our youth, vitality, and peace of mind. It captures a haunting existential claustrophobia where the line between chasing a passion and being consumed by it completely dissolves.

This track serves as a raw anthem for a generation trapped in a cycle of burnout, articulating the quiet desperation of sleepless nights and relentless societal expectations. Yet, beneath this suffocating anxiety lies a fierce, stubborn survival instinct. It is a sonically rich mirror reflecting those who bleed for their future—exhausted, hollowed out, but still resolutely refusing to surrender to the dark.

✨ Lyrical Highlights

我的夢境 是巨大的野獸 牠以我的青春為食 卻不吐骨頭
Wǒ de mèngjìng shì jùdà de yěshòu, tā yǐ wǒ de qīngchūn wéi shí, què bù tǔ gútou.
My dream is a giant beast; it feeds on my youth and spits out no bones.

This striking metaphor personifies ambition as a ruthless predator, subverting the traditional romanticization of pursuing one's dreams. It masterfully captures the brutal, sacrificial nature of creative devotion, where passion consumes the artist's youth and vitality without mercy. This imagery establishes the song's core theme of the exhausting, parasitic relationship between a dreamer and their aspiration.

把最喜歡的事情 變成不得不做的事情 是一場災難嗎
Bǎ zuì xǐhuan de shìqíng biànchéng bùdébù zuò de shìqíng, shì yī chǎng zāinàn ma?
Is it a disaster to turn the thing you love most into something you have to do?

This poignant rhetorical question addresses the existential dread of modern creators whose pure passions are transformed into transactional obligations. It beautifully articulates the tragic paradox of professionalizing one's art, where the joy of creation is slowly suffocated by the pressure of survival. The line connects deeply to the theme by exposing the psychological toll of watching a beloved dream turn into a cage.

Grammar Notes

📌 却又
Used to connect two contrasting clauses to express a contradiction, dilemma, or unexpected turn of events. '却' means 'but/yet' and '又' means 'also/again', together functioning as 'but yet' or 'and yet' to emphasize conflicting feelings.

他想去旅行,却又担心花太多钱。

Tā xiǎng qù lǚxíng, què yòu dānxīn huā tài duō qián.

He wants to go traveling, yet he worries about spending too much money.

📌 动词 + 得 + 程度补语 (Verb + 得 + Degree Complement)
The structural particle '得' (de) is placed after a verb to link it with a complement that describes the manner, state, or degree of the action (e.g., '涨得太满' - swelling too full).

妹妹高兴得跳了起来。

Mèimei gāoxìng de tiào le qǐlái.

My younger sister was so happy that she jumped up.

📌 谁都...
An existential or universal quantifier pattern. The question pronoun '谁' (who) combined with '都' (all/both) means 'everyone', 'anyone', or 'no matter who', representing complete inclusion.

这个秘密谁都知道。

Zhège mìmì shéi dōu zhīdào.

Everyone knows this secret.

📌 在...中
A circumpositional structure used to denote being 'in the middle of', 'inside', 'among', or 'in the process of' a certain place, abstract concept, or ongoing situation.

我们在谈话中发现了很多共同点。

Wǒmen zài tánhuà zhōng fāxiànle hěnduō gòngtóngdiǎn.

We discovered many things in common during our conversation.