Mainland China Slang: Internet Terms And Common Daily Slang
Learn the slang behind 网络流行语 wǎngluò liúxíngyǔ and 日常俚语 rìcháng lǐyǔ, with pinyin, meanings, and real examples that do not sound like a robot wearing sunglasses.
If your textbook taught you 你好 nǐ hǎo and 谢谢 xiè xie, great. If the internet then hit you with 真香 zhēn xiāng, 吃瓜 chī guā, and 躺平 tǎng píng, welcome to modern Mandarin.
Mainland China slang shows up in group chats, livestreams, comments, short videos, and everyday speech. Some of it is very online. Some of it has already escaped the internet and now walks around in real life like it pays rent. This guide gives you the useful core first.
To hear these words in the wild, spend a few minutes browsing comments on 微博 Wēibó, 哔哩哔哩 Bì lǐ bì lǐ, or 小红书 Xiǎo hóng shū. The slang moves fast, but these are the sturdy survivors.
Core Slang You Will Hear Constantly
吃瓜 chī guā
watching gossip or drama unfold
我先吃个瓜。
Wǒ xiān chī ge guā.
Let me watch the drama first.
真香 zhēn xiāng
changing your mind because something is actually good
我本来不想买，结果真香。
Wǒ běnlái bù xiǎng mǎi, jiéguǒ zhēn xiāng.
I did not want to buy it at first, but now I am sold.
躺平 tǎng píng
lying flat, opting out, doing nothing on purpose
周末我只想躺平。
Zhōumò wǒ zhǐ xiǎng tǎng píng.
I just want to rot at home this weekend.
摸鱼 mō yú
slacking off at work or school
老板不在，我先摸鱼五分钟。
Lǎobǎn bú zài, wǒ xiān mō yú wǔ fēnzhōng.
The boss is not here, so I will slack off for five minutes.
破防 pò fáng
emotionally cracked, suddenly unable to cope
看到工资条我直接破防。
Kàndào gōngzī tiáo wǒ zhíjiē pò fáng.
Seeing my payslip broke me instantly.
内卷 nèi juǎn
rat-race competition that never seems to end
这个行业太内卷了。
Zhège hángyè tài nèi juǎn le.
This industry is brutally competitive.
Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences
- 我先吃个瓜。Wǒ xiān chī ge guā. — Let me watch the gossip first.
- 这也太真香了。Zhè yě tài zhēn xiāng le. — I totally changed my mind. This is actually great.
- 今天有点想躺平。Jīntiān yǒudiǎn xiǎng tǎng píng. — I kind of want to do nothing today.
- 这个方案挺靠谱。Zhège fāngàn tǐng kào pǔ. — This plan seems reliable.
- 这评论太扎心了。Zhè pínglùn tài zhā xīn le. — This comment stings.
- 他上班还在摸鱼。Tā shàngbān hái zài mō yú. — He is still slacking off at work.
- 这个价格直接冲。Zhège jiàgé zhíjiē chōng. — At this price, just go for it.
- 这波操作有点离谱。Zhè bō cāozuò yǒudiǎn lí pǔ. — This move is kind of absurd.
- 我真的有点破防了。Wǒ zhēnde yǒudiǎn pò fáng le. — I am honestly a bit emotionally wrecked.
- 你也太会了吧。Nǐ yě tài huì le ba. — You seriously know what you are doing.
- 这次合作看起来有戏。Zhè cì hézuò kàn qǐlai yǒu xì. — This collaboration looks promising.
- 别磨叽，快出门。Bié mó ji, kuài chūmén. — Stop dawdling and get out the door.
Curious Bit: Why This Stuff Sounds So Dramatic
A lot of Mainland China slang loves exaggeration. 社死 shè sǐ does not mean a literal death. 破防 pò fáng is not a military collapse. 逆天 nì tiān is usually not divine rebellion. It is just emotion with extra seasoning.
You will also see letter abbreviations in comments. The full Chinese forms are worth learning first: YYDS = 永远的神 yǒng yuǎn de shén, U1S1 = 有一说一 yǒu yī shuō yī, and XSWL = 笑死我了 xiào sǐ wǒ le.
火锅是冬天的 YYDS。
Huǒguō shì dōngtiān de YYDS.
Hot pot is the GOAT of winter.
U1S1，这方案不错。
U1S1, zhè fāngàn bú cuò.
To be fair, this plan is good.
你那个表情包真的 XSWL。
Nǐ nàge biǎoqíngbāo zhēnde XSWL.
Your meme absolutely killed me.
Internet Reaction Slang
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 吃瓜 | chī guā | follow gossip, watch drama | 大家都在吃瓜。 | Dàjiā dōu zài chī guā. | Everyone is following the drama. |
| 围观 | wéi guān | gather to watch | 路过围观一下。 | Lùguò wéi guān yīxià. | Just passing by to watch for a second. |
| 点赞 | diǎn zàn | like, upvote | 这个视频记得点赞。 | Zhège shìpín jìde diǎn zàn. | Remember to like this video. |
| 转发 | zhuǎn fā | repost, share | 好东西必须转发。 | Hǎo dōngxi bìxū zhuǎn fā. | Good stuff must be shared. |
| 私信 | sī xìn | direct message | 细节我私信你。 | Xìjié wǒ sī xìn nǐ. | I will DM you the details. |
| 吐槽 | tǔ cáo | roast, complain | 她又在吐槽加班。 | Tā yòu zài tǔ cáo jiābān. | She is complaining about overtime again. |
| 真香 | zhēn xiāng | actually good after rejecting it | 我本来不想买，结果真香。 | Wǒ běnlái bù xiǎng mǎi, jiéguǒ zhēn xiāng. | I did not want to buy it at first, but now I am into it. |
| 打脸 | dǎ liǎn | be proven wrong, embarrass yourself | 他昨天说不去，今天就去了，直接打脸。 | Tā zuótiān shuō bú qù, jīntiān jiù qù le, zhíjiē dǎ liǎn. | He said yesterday he would not go, then went today. Total self-own. |
| 翻车 | fān chē | fail badly, crash publicly | 这次直播差点翻车。 | Zhè cì zhíbō chàdiǎn fān chē. | This livestream almost went off the rails. |
| 爆款 | bào kuǎn | viral hit, bestseller | 这件外套成了爆款。 | Zhè jiàn wàitào chéng le bào kuǎn. | This jacket became a huge hit. |
Mood And Lifestyle Slang
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 上头 | shàng tóu | addictive, emotionally hooking | 这首歌太上头了。 | Zhè shǒu gē tài shàng tóu le. | This song is insanely addictive. |
| 下头 | xià tóu | turn-off, vibe killer | 他那句玩笑真的很下头。 | Tā nà jù wánxiào zhēnde hěn xià tóu. | That joke was such a turn-off. |
| 破防 | pò fáng | emotionally cracked | 看到工资条我直接破防。 | Kàndào gōngzī tiáo wǒ zhíjiē pò fáng. | Seeing my payslip broke me instantly. |
| 走心 | zǒu xīn | sincere, heartfelt | 这段话挺走心的。 | Zhè duàn huà tǐng zǒu xīn de. | These words feel genuinely heartfelt. |
| 扎心 | zhā xīn | hits hard, stings | 这评论太扎心了。 | Zhè pínglùn tài zhā xīn le. | This comment hits way too hard. |
| 躺平 | tǎng píng | lie flat, opt out | 周末我只想在家躺平。 | Zhōumò wǒ zhǐ xiǎng zài jiā tǎng píng. | I just want to rot at home this weekend. |
| 摆烂 | bǎi làn | give up trying, let it crash | 考完试以后他彻底摆烂了。 | Kǎo wán shì yǐhòu tā chèdǐ bǎi làn le. | After the exam, he totally gave up. |
| 内卷 | nèi juǎn | rat-race competition | 这个行业太内卷了。 | Zhège hángyè tài nèi juǎn le. | This industry is brutally competitive. |
| 佛系 | fó xì | laid-back, low-desire | 她买东西很佛系。 | Tā mǎi dōngxi hěn fó xì. | She shops in a very laid-back way. |
| 摸鱼 | mō yú | slack off | 老板不在，我先摸鱼五分钟。 | Lǎobǎn bú zài, wǒ xiān mō yú wǔ fēnzhōng. | The boss is not here, so I will slack off for five minutes. |
Comment-Section And Meme Slang
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 六六六 | liù liù liù | awesome, slick, well played | 这操作真是六六六。 | Zhè cāozuò zhēnshi liù liù liù. | That move was slick. |
| 永远的神 | yǒng yuǎn de shén | the GOAT, forever legendary | 这家小店是早餐界的永远的神。 | Zhè jiā xiǎodiàn shì zǎocān jiè de yǒng yuǎn de shén. | This little shop is the GOAT of breakfast. |
| 有一说一 | yǒu yī shuō yī | to be fair, honestly | 有一说一，这次你做得不错。 | Yǒu yī shuō yī, zhè cì nǐ zuò de bú cuò. | To be fair, you did well this time. |
| 懂的都懂 | dǒng de dōu dǒng | those who know, know | 这个地方为什么火，懂的都懂。 | Zhège dìfang wèishéme huǒ, dǒng de dōu dǒng. | Why this place is popular, those who know, know. |
| 太会了 | tài huì le | you really know what you are doing | 你这搭配太会了。 | Nǐ zhè dāpèi tài huì le. | This outfit combo is seriously good. |
| 稳了 | wěn le | this is in the bag | 门票抢到了，稳了。 | Ménpiào qiǎng dào le, wěn le. | We got the tickets, so we are set. |
| 冲 | chōng | go for it, do it, buy it | 这个价格能买就冲。 | Zhège jiàgé néng mǎi jiù chōng. | At this price, just go for it. |
| 嗑到了 | kē dào le | I am shipping it, this romance works | 他们俩一对视我就嗑到了。 | Tāmen liǎ yī duìshì wǒ jiù kē dào le. | The moment they looked at each other, I started shipping them. |
| 绝绝子 | jué jué zǐ | ridiculously amazing | 这家甜品店真的绝绝子。 | Zhè jiā tiánpǐn diàn zhēnde jué jué zǐ. | This dessert shop is absurdly good. |
| 整活 | zhěng huó | do a bit, pull something funny | 他又开始整活了。 | Tā yòu kāishǐ zhěng huó le. | He is doing his clowning again. |
People And Social Situations
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 社死 | shè sǐ | social death, massive embarrassment | 开会时我把麦开着吃薯片，真的社死。 | Kāihuì shí wǒ bǎ mài kāi zhe chī shǔpiàn, zhēnde shè sǐ. | I left my mic on while eating chips in a meeting. Social death. |
| 社牛 | shè niú | socially fearless, extroverted | 她跟陌生人聊天像老朋友一样，太社牛了。 | Tā gēn mòshēngrén liáotiān xiàng lǎo péngyou yíyàng, tài shè niú le. | She talks to strangers like old friends. Super socially fearless. |
| 社恐 | shè kǒng | socially anxious, shy | 人一多我就有点社恐。 | Rén yì duō wǒ jiù yǒudiǎn shè kǒng. | When there are too many people, I get socially anxious. |
| 油腻 | yóu nì | sleazy, cheesy in a bad way | 他那种夸人方式有点油腻。 | Tā nà zhǒng kuā rén fāngshì yǒudiǎn yóu nì. | His way of complimenting people feels a bit sleazy. |
| 土味 | tǔ wèi | tacky, low-budget in a funny way | 这个广告土味十足。 | Zhège guǎnggào tǔ wèi shí zú. | This ad is gloriously tacky. |
| 逆天 | nì tiān | insanely outrageous | 这剧情也太逆天了。 | Zhè jùqíng yě tài nì tiān le. | This plot is unbelievably ridiculous. |
| 离谱 | lí pǔ | absurd, out of line | 晚饭卖这么贵，太离谱了。 | Wǎnfàn mài zhème guì, tài lí pǔ le. | Dinner being this expensive is absurd. |
| 拿捏 | ná niē | nail it, totally handle it | 这个颜色被你拿捏住了。 | Zhège yánsè bèi nǐ ná niē zhù le. | You totally nailed this color choice. |
| 拉满 | lā mǎn | maxed out | 今天的氛围感直接拉满。 | Jīntiān de fēnwéi gǎn zhíjiē lā mǎn. | Today’s vibe is maxed out. |
| 顶不住 | dǐng bu zhù | cannot take it | 这天气热得我真顶不住。 | Zhè tiānqì rè de wǒ zhēn dǐng bu zhù. | This heat is too much for me. |
Daily Spoken Slang You Hear Offline Too
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 给力 | gěi lì | awesome, effective | 这个空调太给力了。 | Zhège kōngtiáo tài gěi lì le. | This AC is seriously effective. |
| 靠谱 | kào pǔ | reliable | 这家搬家公司挺靠谱。 | Zhè jiā bānjiā gōngsī tǐng kào pǔ. | This moving company is pretty reliable. |
| 不靠谱 | bù kào pǔ | unreliable | 他答应得快，但有点不靠谱。 | Tā dāying de kuài, dàn yǒudiǎn bù kào pǔ. | He agrees quickly, but he is kind of unreliable. |
| 小意思 | xiǎo yì si | no big deal, easy | 这点事，小意思。 | Zhè diǎn shì, xiǎo yì si. | This little task? No big deal. |
| 别磨叽 | bié mó ji | stop dragging, hurry up | 别磨叽了，电影要开始了。 | Bié mó ji le, diànyǐng yào kāishǐ le. | Stop dragging. The movie is about to start. |
| 老铁 | lǎo tiě | bro, buddy | 老铁，这波你帮大忙了。 | Lǎo tiě, zhè bō nǐ bāng dà máng le. | Bro, you really helped me out. |
| 兄弟 | xiōng dì | bro | 兄弟，你这次真稳。 | Xiōng dì, nǐ zhè cì zhēn wěn. | Bro, you are solid this time. |
| 姐妹 | jiě mèi | sis, girlie | 姐妹，这件衣服太好看了。 | Jiě mèi, zhè jiàn yīfu tài hǎokàn le. | Sis, this outfit is so cute. |
| 有戏 | yǒu xì | has a chance, promising | 你们这个合作看起来有戏。 | Nǐmen zhège hézuò kàn qǐlai yǒu xì. | This collaboration looks promising. |
| 没戏 | méi xì | no chance, not happening | 今天下雨，野餐没戏了。 | Jīntiān xiàyǔ, yěcān méi xì le. | It is raining today, so the picnic is not happening. |
Variants And Look-Alikes
| Term | Close Variant | Difference | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吃瓜 chī guā | 看热闹 kàn rè nao | 吃瓜 chī guā is more internet-gossip flavored. 看热闹 kàn rè nao is just watching the excitement. | 别说话，我先吃瓜。 Bié shuōhuà, wǒ xiān chī guā. Do not talk yet. Let me enjoy the gossip. |
| 躺平 tǎng píng | 摆烂 bǎi làn | 躺平 tǎng píng is opting out. 摆烂 bǎi làn is giving up and letting things crash. | 今天我想躺平，不想摆烂。 Jīntiān wǒ xiǎng tǎng píng, bù xiǎng bǎi làn. Today I want to rest, not give up completely. |
| 社恐 shè kǒng | 害羞 hài xiū | 社恐 shè kǒng is internet slang. 害羞 hài xiū is the plain standard word for shy. | 我有点社恐，不太敢主动聊天。 Wǒ yǒudiǎn shè kǒng, bù tài gǎn zhǔdòng liáotiān. I am a bit socially anxious and do not really dare to start conversations. |
| 靠谱 kào pǔ | 可靠 kě kào | 靠谱 kào pǔ is casual. 可靠 kě kào is more neutral and standard. | 这个人很靠谱，也很可靠。 Zhège rén hěn kào pǔ, yě hěn kě kào. This person is dependable in both the casual and formal sense. |
| 摸鱼 mō yú | 划水 huá shuǐ | Both mean slacking. 摸鱼 mō yú feels very office-and-internet. 划水 huá shuǐ can also mean coasting in a group. | 开会时别划水，也别摸鱼。 Kāihuì shí bié huá shuǐ, yě bié mō yú. Do not coast or slack off during the meeting. |
| 离谱 lí pǔ | 夸张 kuā zhāng | 离谱 lí pǔ feels more slangy and sharper. 夸张 kuā zhāng is standard for exaggerated. | 这个价格太离谱，也太夸张了。 Zhège jiàgé tài lí pǔ, yě tài kuā zhāng le. This price is absurd and exaggerated. |
Yak Box: Sound Natural, Not Like A Lost Meme Machine
- Safest starters for real life: 真香 zhēn xiāng, 给力 gěi lì, 靠谱 kào pǔ, and 有戏 yǒu xì.
- Very online and younger-feeling: 绝绝子 jué jué zǐ, 嗑到了 kē dào le, and 永远的神 yǒng yuǎn de shén.
- A little risky in work settings: 摸鱼 mō yú, 摆烂 bǎi làn, 油腻 yóu nì, and 社死 shè sǐ.
- Best cheat code: copy the rhythm of native speakers, not every meme. Nobody needs to sound like a comment section from three winters ago.
