Chinese Internet Slang: 40 Words Young People Use

Chinese slang changes fast, and most of it is born online. Words like YYDS (the GOAT), 躺平 (tǎngpíng, to lie flat) and 内卷 (nèijuǎn, the rat race) are everywhere in comments, chats and videos, but you won't find them in a textbook or on the HSK. This guide covers 40 Chinese internet slang words that young people actually use, grouped by era, each with pinyin, meaning, a short note on where it came from and an example sentence.

Why Slang Matters for Chinese Learners

You can pass HSK 4 and still get lost in a comment section. Social media posts, video captions, group chats and TV dramas are full of slang, and much of it is built from ordinary words used in new ways. 卷 (juǎn) normally means "to roll up", but online it describes someone who studies until midnight to beat everyone else.

Knowing a handful of these words helps in three ways. You understand real Chinese content instead of guessing. You hear how the language plays with sounds, which is good tone practice. And when you use one at the right moment with Chinese friends, it shows you know more than the textbook.

You don't need to learn all of them. Pick the ones you keep seeing and learn them the same way as any other word: with the tones, in a sentence. If the tone marks still slow you down, our Chinese tones chart and pinyin chart are good to keep open while you read.

Early Internet Slang (2000s)

These come from the forum and chat room years. Some sound a little dated now, but people still know them and use them, often with a wink.

菜鸟 (càiniǎo): a newbie, a noob

Literally "vegetable bird". Gamers and forum users used it for beginners, and it is still the normal word for a noob.

我是游戏菜鸟，请多指教。
Wǒ shì yóuxì càiniǎo, qǐng duō zhǐjiào.
I'm a noob at this game, please go easy on me.

山寨 (shānzhài): a knockoff, a fake brand

A "mountain stronghold" outside the law. It was first used for copycat phones around 2008 and now covers any knockoff.

这是山寨手机，不是真的。
Zhè shì shānzhài shǒujī, bú shì zhēn de.
This is a knockoff phone, it isn't real.

打酱油 (dǎ jiàngyóu): none of my business

Literally "buying soy sauce". It comes from a man in a TV street interview who said he was just out to buy soy sauce. Use it when you want to say you're only passing by.

别问我，我只是来打酱油的。
Bié wèn wǒ, wǒ zhǐ shì lái dǎ jiàngyóu de.
Don't ask me, I'm just passing by.

Social Media Slang (2010s)

The 2010s gave Chinese a huge number of new words as microblogs, short videos and messaging apps took over. Many of these are now ordinary spoken Chinese.

给力 (gěilì): awesome, impressive

Literally "giving force". It spread around 2010 and became so common that newspapers used it in headlines.

这次促销真给力！
Zhè cì cùxiāo zhēn gěilì!
This sale is awesome!

吐槽 (tǔcáo): to roast, to complain jokingly

It came from Japanese manzai comedy (tsukkomi) by way of Taiwan. It means poking fun at something, not a bitter complaint.

他最喜欢在网上吐槽电视剧。
Tā zuì xǐhuan zài wǎngshang tǔcáo diànshìjù.
He loves roasting TV dramas online.

土豪 (tǔháo): a flashy rich person, a big spender

It once meant a rural tyrant. Since 2013 it has been a joke about anyone who spends big, often said to a friend who just paid for dinner.

土豪，我们做朋友吧！
Tǔháo, wǒmen zuò péngyou ba!
Hey big spender, let's be friends!

学霸 (xuébà): a top student

霸 means a tyrant or champion, so a 学霸 rules the classroom. The opposite is 学渣 (xuézhā), a bad student, which people often say about themselves.

学霸就是学霸，又考了满分。
Xuébà jiù shì xuébà, yòu kǎole mǎnfēn.
A genius is a genius. Full marks again.

吃瓜群众 (chīguā qúnzhòng): onlookers watching the drama

Literally "the melon-eating crowd", like grabbing popcorn to watch a fight. Since 2016, 吃瓜 on its own means following gossip.

我们只是吃瓜群众，看看热闹。
Wǒmen zhǐ shì chīguā qúnzhòng, kànkan rènao.
We're just here for the drama.

佛系 (fóxì): chill, not bothered

"Buddha-like". From 2017 it described people who don't fight for anything and accept whatever happens.

我现在很佛系，考多少分都行。
Wǒ xiànzài hěn fóxì, kǎo duōshao fēn dōu xíng.
I'm very zen now. Whatever score I get is fine.

真香 (zhēn xiāng): eating your own words

"So tasty". It comes from a reality show where a guy swore he would never eat the family's food, then tucked in and said "so tasty". Use it when someone changes their mind after loudly saying they wouldn't.

他说不喜欢猫，结果养了以后天天说"真香"。
Tā shuō bù xǐhuan māo, jiéguǒ yǎngle yǐhòu tiāntiān shuō "zhēn xiāng".
He said he hated cats, and now that he has one he loves it.

柠檬精 (níngméngjīng): a jealous person

A "lemon spirit". Jealousy in Chinese is sour, so a lemon spirit is someone sour about other people's luck. It is usually said about yourself as a joke, and 我酸了 (wǒ suān le, I'm jealous) goes with it.

看到别人去旅游，我又变成柠檬精了。
Kàndào biéren qù lǚyóu, wǒ yòu biànchéng níngméngjīng le.
Seeing everyone on holiday makes me so jealous.

剁手 (duòshǒu): I shopped too much

"Chop off my hands", so you can't shop any more. It peaks every year around Singles Day, November 11, China's biggest online shopping day.

双十一又买了好多东西，我要剁手！
Shuāng Shíyī yòu mǎile hǎo duō dōngxi, wǒ yào duòshǒu!
I bought way too much again on Singles Day!

2020s Slang: Work, Study and the Rat Race

This is the slang you'll see most in comments and videos today. A lot of it is about work, pressure and finding small ways to cope.

内卷 (nèijuǎn): the rat race, pointless over-competition

A sociology term, "involution", that became everyday talk in 2020. It describes a situation where everyone works harder just to stay in the same place.

现在找工作太内卷了。
Xiànzài zhǎo gōngzuò tài nèijuǎn le.
Job hunting is such a rat race now.

卷 (juǎn): to work or study way too hard

Short for 内卷. It works as a verb and an adjective: 他很卷 means he grinds too hard, and 卷王 (juǎnwáng) is the king of overwork.

别卷了，都晚上十二点了还在学习！
Bié juǎn le, dōu wǎnshang shí'èr diǎn le hái zài xuéxí!
Stop grinding! It's midnight and you're still studying!

躺平 (tǎngpíng): to lie flat

The answer to 内卷. Since 2021 it has meant opting out of the rat race: doing what you must and no more.

工作太累了，我只想躺平。
Gōngzuò tài lèi le, wǒ zhǐ xiǎng tǎngpíng.
Work is exhausting. I just want to lie flat.

摆烂 (bǎilàn): to give up and let it fall apart

Stronger than 躺平. You stop trying because it's hopeless anyway. Popular from 2022, often about exams and deadlines.

反正也来不及了，我决定摆烂。
Fǎnzhèng yě lái bu jí le, wǒ juédìng bǎilàn.
It's too late anyway, so I've given up.

打工人 (dǎgōngrén): a working stiff

打工 means to work for someone else. In 2020 people started greeting each other as 打工人 with a mix of pride and self-mockery.

早安，打工人！今天也要努力。
Zǎo'ān, dǎgōngrén! Jīntiān yě yào nǔlì.
Morning, fellow workers! Keep at it today.

牛马 (niúmǎ): an overworked workhorse

"Oxen and horses". From 2024 office workers have called themselves this, and it is only used about yourself or your own group.

我们这些牛马，周末还要加班。
Wǒmen zhèxiē niúmǎ, zhōumò hái yào jiābān.
Us workhorses even have to work weekends.

摸鱼 (mōyú): to slack off at work

From the idiom 浑水摸鱼, fishing in troubled waters. It means looking busy while doing something else.

老板不在，大家都在摸鱼。
Lǎobǎn bú zài, dàjiā dōu zài mōyú.
The boss is out, so everyone's slacking off.

2020s Slang: Feelings and Social Life

破防 (pòfáng): deeply moved or upset

From games, where an attack breaks through armor. Since 2021 it means something got past your emotional defenses, in a good or a bad way.

看到妈妈的留言，我直接破防了。
Kàndào māma de liúyán, wǒ zhíjiē pòfáng le.
Reading Mom's message, I totally broke down.

社恐 (shèkǒng): socially anxious

Short for 社交恐惧, fear of socializing. People use it loosely to say they're shy or would rather stay home.

我是社恐，不敢一个人去聚会。
Wǒ shì shèkǒng, bù gǎn yí ge rén qù jùhuì.
I'm socially anxious. I don't dare go to parties alone.

社牛 (shèniú): socially fearless

The opposite of 社恐: 牛 means awesome, so a 社牛 is a social superstar who can talk to anyone, anywhere.

他是社牛，跟谁都能聊。
Tā shì shèniú, gēn shéi dōu néng liáo.
He can chat with anyone, totally fearless.

社死 (shèsǐ): a mortifying public moment

"Social death". Since 2020 it is what you say after embarrassing yourself in front of people.

我在全班面前叫错了老师的名字，当场社死。
Wǒ zài quán bān miànqián jiàocuòle lǎoshī de míngzi, dāngchǎng shèsǐ.
I called the teacher by the wrong name in front of the class. I wanted to vanish.

凡尔赛 (Fán'ěrsài): a humblebrag

From Versailles. In 2020 it became the word for bragging about a fancy life while pretending to complain.

"我又胖了，才九十斤。"这也太凡尔赛了吧！
"Wǒ yòu pàng le, cái jiǔshí jīn." Zhè yě tài Fán'ěrsài le ba!
"Ugh, I gained weight, I'm only 45 kilos." What a humblebrag!

搭子 (dāzi): a buddy for one activity

A friend for one thing only, and no pressure beyond that. 饭搭子 is a meal buddy and 旅游搭子 a travel buddy. Very popular from 2023.

我在找一个健身搭子。
Wǒ zài zhǎo yí ge jiànshēn dāzi.
I'm looking for a gym buddy.

2020s Slang: Reactions and Opinions

绝绝子 (juéjuézi): amazing, the best

A cute way to say 绝了, "the absolute best". Since 2021 it has been everywhere in reviews, sometimes used ironically because it got overused.

这家的奶茶绝绝子！
Zhè jiā de nǎichá juéjuézi!
The milk tea here is amazing!

离谱 (lípǔ): ridiculous, way over the top

谱 is a musical score, so 离谱 is "off the score". It is an older word that became a go-to reaction online around 2020.

一杯咖啡要八十块？太离谱了！
Yì bēi kāfēi yào bāshí kuài? Tài lípǔ le!
Eighty yuan for a coffee? That's ridiculous!

嘴替 (zuǐtì): someone who says exactly what you think

Short for "mouth stand-in". Since 2022 people use it for anyone who puts your thoughts into words better than you could.

这个博主简直是我的嘴替！
Zhège bózhǔ jiǎnzhí shì wǒ de zuǐtì!
This blogger says exactly what I think!

平替 (píngtì): a cheaper alternative, a dupe

Short for 平价替代, an affordable substitute. You'll see it constantly in beauty and shopping posts.

这款口红是大牌的平替，便宜又好用。
Zhè kuǎn kǒuhóng shì dàpái de píngtì, piányi yòu hǎoyòng.
This lipstick is a dupe of a big brand, cheap and good.

Number and Letter Codes

Chinese chat is full of codes. Number codes work because the digits sound like other words when you say them aloud. Letter codes take the first letter of each syllable in the pinyin. When you read them out, people usually say the full phrase, not the letters. If you're still learning how to say numbers, our Chinese numbers guide covers the basics.

YYDS (yǒngyuǎn de shén): the GOAT

Short for 永远的神, "forever a god". It exploded in 2021 and is the top answer to "what does YYDS mean". Use it for anyone or anything you think is the best ever.

这位球员YYDS！
Zhè wèi qiúyuán yǒngyuǎn de shén!
This player is the GOAT!

520 (wǔ èr líng): I love you

520 sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ). May 20 is now an unofficial Valentine's Day, when couples send each other 520 yuan.

今天是5月20日，他给女朋友发了一个520的红包。
Jīntiān shì wǔ yuè èrshí rì, tā gěi nǚpéngyou fāle yí ge wǔ'èrlíng de hóngbāo.
It's May 20, and he sent his girlfriend a 520-yuan red packet.

1314 (yī sān yī sì): forever

1314 sounds like 一生一世 (yīshēng yīshì), "one life, one lifetime". It often comes right after 520.

我爱你，1314！
Wǒ ài nǐ, yī sān yī sì!
I love you forever!

666 (liù liù liù): awesome, so skilled

六 (liù) sounds like 溜 (liū), smooth and skilled. It started in game streams around 2015 and now praises any good move.

你这操作666！
Nǐ zhè cāozuò liù liù liù!
That move was awesome!

233 (èr sān sān): LOL

On an early Chinese forum, emoji number 233 was a man pounding the floor laughing. The more 3s you add, the harder you're laughing.

这个视频太好笑了，233333。
Zhège shìpín tài hǎoxiào le, èr sān sān sān sān sān.
This video is hilarious, LOL.

886 (bā bā liù): bye-bye

886 sounds like 拜拜了 (bàibài le). 88 alone also means bye-bye.

我先下线了，886！
Wǒ xiān xiàxiàn le, bā bā liù!
I'm logging off, bye-bye!

996 (jiǔ jiǔ liù): working 9 to 9, six days a week

Not a sound pun but a schedule: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. Since 2019 it has been shorthand for an exhausting job.

这家公司是996，太累了。
Zhè jiā gōngsī shì jiǔ jiǔ liù, tài lèi le.
This company works 9-9-6. It's exhausting.

xswl (xiào sǐ wǒ le): LMAO

Short for 笑死我了, "laughing me to death". The written answer to anything funny.

xswl，他把盐当成了糖。
Xiào sǐ wǒ le, tā bǎ yán dàngchéngle táng.
LMAO, he used salt instead of sugar.

awsl (a wǒ sǐ le): too cute to handle

Short for 啊我死了, "ah, I'm dead". Used under photos of babies, pets and anything adorable.

这只小熊猫太可爱了，awsl！
Zhè zhī xiǎo xióngmāo tài kě'ài le, a wǒ sǐ le!
This baby panda is too cute, I can't!

u1s1 (yǒu yī shuō yī): to be honest

Short for 有一说一, "say one if there is one". The u stands for 有 and the 1s for 一. It works like TBH.

u1s1，这家店的菜一般。
Yǒu yī shuō yī, zhè jiā diàn de cài yìbān.
TBH, the food here is just okay.

dddd (dǒng de dōu dǒng): if you know, you know

Short for 懂的都懂. A way of hinting at something without spelling it out.

为什么他突然辞职？dddd。
Wèishénme tā tūrán cízhí? Dǒng de dōu dǒng.
Why did he suddenly quit? If you know, you know.

How to Use Chinese Slang Politely

Most of the words above are fine anywhere casual. A few are teasing or a little rude, and you should keep them for friends who know you're joking. Never use them with your boss, a teacher or someone you've just met.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
二百五	èrbǎiwǔ	an idiot, a fool (literally "250", an old insult)
杠精	gàngjīng	someone who argues with everything
猪队友	zhū duìyǒu	a useless teammate
普信	pǔxìn	ordinary but weirdly confident
大冤种	dà yuānzhǒng	a total sucker, someone who got a raw deal

The safest way to use these is about yourself. 我真是大冤种 (Wǒ zhēn shì dà yuānzhǒng, I'm such a sucker) is funny. Calling someone else one can hurt.

A few more rules of thumb:

• Keep slang out of formal writing. Emails, essays, job interviews and the HSK writing section all want standard Chinese.
• Self-mockery is safer than labels. Words like 牛马, 打工人, 单身狗 (dānshēngǒu, a single person) and 学渣 are fine about yourself but can sound rude if you pin them on someone else.
• Slang dates quickly. 给力 was everywhere in 2010 and now sounds a bit like "groovy". If you're not sure a word is still current, listen for whether your friends use it.
• Learn the standard word first. Know 厉害 (lìhai, impressive) before 666, and 嫉妒 (jídù, jealous) before 柠檬精.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does YYDS mean in Chinese?

YYDS is short for 永远的神 (yǒngyuǎn de shén), "forever a god". It means the greatest of all time, the same way English speakers say "the GOAT". You write the letters, but people usually read it aloud as the full phrase: 这位球员YYDS！ (This player is the GOAT!)

What is tang ping?

Tang ping is 躺平 (tǎngpíng), "to lie flat". It took off in 2021 and means stepping out of the rat race: doing the work you have to and refusing to chase more. People often say it half as a joke after a long week: 工作太累了，我只想躺平。 (Work is exhausting. I just want to lie flat.)

What does nei juan mean?

Nei juan is 内卷 (nèijuǎn). It started as the sociology term "involution" and became everyday talk around 2020 for pointless over-competition, where everyone works harder and nobody gets ahead. The short form 卷 (juǎn) describes a person who studies or works far too hard: 别卷了！ (Stop grinding!)

Is it OK for a foreigner to use Chinese slang?

Yes, with friends and online it usually goes down well and shows you follow how people really talk. Keep it out of exams, emails and formal situations, and be careful with teasing words like 杠精 or 普信, which can sound rude to people you don't know well.

What's Next

Slang sits on top of everyday Chinese, so the more standard vocabulary you know, the easier it is to pick up new words like these. If you're working through the HSK, see the HSK levels explained and start building vocabulary with the HSK 1 vocabulary list. Many slang phrases end in 了, as in 太离谱了 and 破防了; our guide to the 了 particle explains why.

Learn Chinese HSK is free to download on iOS and Android, with no account and no ads. Its Chinese slang menu has all 272 words, from 1980s old school to the newest internet words and number codes, each with pinyin, meaning, an example sentence and audio. The old school, early internet and number and letter code sections are free, and Pro adds the 2010s and 2020s. The app guide shows how each feature works.