12 Essential Chinese Slang Terms You Should Know

In the ever-evolving language landscape, slang terms serve as a window into a culture's zeitgeist. For Mandarin Chinese, a language with a rich history and a dynamic present, understanding contemporary slang is crucial for effective communication and cultural insight.

This guide explores 12 essential Chinese slang terms that have gained prominence in recent years. We'll explain their meanings and usage, and provide a brief insight into their origins, offering you a quick but comprehensive understanding of modern Chinese colloquial language.

Whether you're a language enthusiast, a student of Chinese, or someone looking to connect more authentically with Chinese speakers, this guide will enhance your linguistic toolkit and cultural awareness.

Why Learn Chinese Slang?

1. Cultural insight: Slang often reflects current social trends, attitudes, and concerns.

2. Natural communication: Using slang helps you sound more like a native speaker and connect on a more personal level.

3. Better comprehension: Understanding slang improves your ability to follow casual conversations, social media, and popular media.

4. Linguistic evolution: Studying slang offers fascinating insights into how languages evolve and adapt to societal changes.

Now, time to explore some Chinese slang!

1. 内卷 (nèi juǎn) - Involution

• Meaning: Excessive competition within a system, leading to diminishing returns. It describes a situation where increased effort doesn't result in increased gains.

• Origin: Originally a sociological concept introduced by anthropologist Clifford Geertz in the 1960s. It gained widespread popularity as internet slang in China in 2020.

• Usage: Used to describe the intense competition in education, work, and society in China. The derived phrase "万物皆可卷"(everything can be involuted) shows its wide application.

Example:

这个行业太内卷了，大家都在加班加点。

This industry is too "involuted," everyone's working overtime.

2. 躺平 (tǎng píng) - Lying flat

• Meaning: A lifestyle choice of young people who reject societal expectations for success, opting for a minimalist life with low desires and consumption.

• Origin: The term appeared on the popular Chinese forum Baidu Tieba (百度贴吧) as early as 2011 but gained widespread popularity in 2021 as a response to societal pressures.

• Usage: Describes a passive attitude towards work, relationships, and life goals. It's seen as a form of rebellion against 内卷, overwork, social competition, and capitalist exploitation.

Example:

我决定躺平了，不想再拼命工作了。

I've decided to "lie flat," I don't want to work myself to death anymore.

3. 摆烂 (bǎi làn) - To give up and let things fall apart

• Meaning: To deliberately perform badly or give up trying when a situation seems hopeless, allowing things to worsen without attempting to improve them.

• Origin: This comes from Chinese discussions about NBA strategy, which are used to describe teams deliberately losing games to secure better draft picks. It's similar to the English term "tanking" in sports contexts.

• Usage: While originally from sports, it's now used broadly in academic or work contexts when someone deliberately stops putting in effort. It's considered more severe than 躺平.

Example:

这学期太难了，我准备摆烂了。

This semester is too difficult, I'm ready to just give up and let things fall apart.

4. 摸鱼 (mō yú) - Touch fish

• Meaning: To slack off or waste time at work, doing non-work-related activities during work hours.

• Origin: Derived from the idiom "浑水摸鱼" (hún shuǐ mō yú), literally "fishing in troubled waters," which means taking advantage of a chaotic situation for personal gain.

• Usage: Originally meant to seek profit in chaos, now commonly used among office workers to describe slacking off at work or artists drawing casual sketches instead of focused work.

Example:

老板不在，我们今天可以好好摸鱼了。

The boss isn't here, we can really slack off today.

5. 打脸 (dǎ liǎn) - Slap in the face

• Meaning: To be proven wrong or embarrassed, often after making a bold claim. It can refer to self-contradiction or being proven wrong by others.

• Origin: Literally means "to slap face," evolved to describe situations where someone's actions or reality contradicts their previous statements.

• Usage: Used when someone's actions or words contradict their previous statements, similar to "eating one's words" in English.

Example:

他说绝对不会辞职，结果第二天就离职了，这打脸来得太快了。

He said he would absolutely never quit, but he left the job the next day. This slap in the face came too quickly.

6. 真香 (zhēn xiāng) - It's actually great

• Meaning: Expressing a sudden change of heart, usually after initially rejecting or criticizing something.

• Origin: Popularized by a 2018 episode of the reality show "X-change" (变形计), where a participant initially refused to eat but then exclaimed "真香" (It's actually great) when he finally tried the food.

• Usage: Used humorously when someone goes back on their word or changes their mind about something they initially disliked or refused. Similar to 打脸, but 真香 is more self-reflective and often used in a lighthearted way. 打脸 can be used for others and typically has a more negative connotation.

Example:

我说过再也不玩游戏了，但这个新游戏真香啊！

I said I'd never play games again, but this new game is really great!

7. 凡尔赛文学 (fán ěr sài wén xué) - Versailles literature

• Meaning: A form of humble-bragging or subtle showing off, often in a self-deprecating way.

• Origin: Popularized in 2020 through social media, notably by a Weibo (微博) user sharing luxurious life experiences in Beijing. People described it as "烦而晒" (fán ér shài, "annoyed but showing off") and a pun to 凡尔赛 (Fán'ěrsài, Versailles), which implies luxury and nobility.

• Usage: Used to describe posts or comments that subtly flaunt one's wealth or status while pretending to be humble. Often involves self-questioning, a third-person perspective, or a twist from seeming criticism to praise.

Example:

"哎呀，我的劳力士表又慢了五秒，真是烦恼。"——这就是典型的凡尔赛文学。

"Oh dear, my Rolex is five seconds slow again, what a bother." —This is typical Versailles literature.

8. 吃瓜群众 (chī guā qún zhòng) - Melon-eating masses

• Meaning: Spectators or bystanders passively observe online discussions or events without participating or having a deep understanding of the situation.

• Origin: Evolved from comments on Chinese forums like "前排吃瓜子" (eating sunflower seeds in the front row). "瓜" originally meant sunflower seeds but is now often associated with watermelon (西瓜).

• Usage: Used to describe people who passively consume online content or gossip. It can be self-deprecating or used to describe others.

Example:

我只是个吃瓜群众，不想卷入这场争论。

I'm just part of the melon-eating masses, I don't want to get involved in this argument.

9. 破防 (pò fáng) - To break through defenses

• Meaning: Originally meaning to break through defenses in military or gaming contexts, now refers to being emotionally affected or having one's psychological defenses breached.

• Origin: Shortened from "破除防御" (break through defense). Gained popularity as internet slang in 2021, evolving from gaming terminology.

• Usage: Describes being deeply moved or affected by events or information, often to the point of losing emotional control. Can apply to various emotions including anger, sadness, embarrassment, or even happiness. Sometimes used sarcastically to describe exaggerated reactions.

Example:

他连续五次面试失败，终于破防大哭起来。

After failing five interviews in a row, he finally broke down and cried.

10. 666 (liù liù liù) - Awesome

• Meaning: Used to express that something is awesome, cool, or impressive. Can also be used sarcastically for major mistakes.

• Origin: Originated in Chinese online gaming. "6" sounds similar to 溜 (liū), meaning "smooth" or "skillful". Repeating it emphasizes the meaning.

• Usage: Common in gaming and live-streaming to praise impressive actions. Unlike its negative connotation in Western culture (666 associated with the devil), in Chinese internet slang, it's overwhelmingly positive.

Example:

主播操作真是666！

The streamer's skills are really awesome!

11. 233… (èr sān sān…) - LOL

• Meaning: Expresses laughter, similar to "LOL" or "hahaha" in English.

• Origin: Derived from the 233rd emoticon on Mop.com, a former popular Chinese forum, which depicted a figure laughing hysterically.

• Usage: Commonly used in comments and chats to indicate something is funny. More "3"s indicate more intense or prolonged laughter. Can express laughter including amusement, sarcasm, embarrassment, or self-deprecating, depending on context.

Example:

这个笑话太好笑了23333333!

This joke is so funny LOL!

12. yyds - GOAT

• Meaning: An acronym for "永远的神" (yōng yuǎn de shén, eternal god), similar to "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time) in English.

• Origin: Popularized in 2020-2021, originally used by a streamer to praise professional gamer Uzi.

• Usage: Initially used by fans to praise their idols, now widely applied to express admiration for people, organizations, events, or things. Can be used seriously or ironically.

Example:

这款手机真是yyds，用了三年还是很流畅。

This phone is truly the GOAT, still running smoothly after three years.

Final Thoughts

These 12 slang terms offer a window into the vibrant world of modern Chinese language and culture. From societal phenomena like 内卷 (nèi juǎn) and 躺平 (tǎng píng) to internet culture expressions like 吃瓜群众 (chī guā qún zhòng) and yyds, each term provides unique insights into contemporary Chinese society.

As you incorporate these expressions into your Chinese vocabulary, remember that context is key. What's appropriate among friends might not suit formal settings. With practice, you'll develop an intuition for using these terms effectively.

Keep in mind that slang evolves rapidly. Don't hesitate to ask native speakers about new expressions – it's an excellent way to deepen your cultural understanding and spark engaging conversations. Keep exploring and enjoy your journey into the colorful world of Chinese slang!