Chinese Slang & Internet WordsNumbers, letter codes and the words Chinese people actually use online
Chinese social media moves fast, and much of its slang is built from numbers, pinyin initials and puns. Here are the words you will see on WeChat, Douyin, Weibo and Bilibili, with their meaning, pinyin and native audio. Slang that has gone out of fashion is marked as dated.
Number slang
Numbers that sound like words. Read them digit by digit.
| Term | Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 520 | 五二零 | wǔ èr líng | Meaning I love you | Note A number code for 我爱你 — not a perfect sound-alike, but everyone knows it. 20 May (5/20) is now a day for couples. |
| Term 1314 | 一三一四 | yī sān yī sì | Meaning forever | Note Close in sound to 一生一世, "all my life". 5201314 = I love you forever. |
| Term 666 | 六六六 | liù liù liù | Meaning awesome, so skilful | Note From 溜 (smooth, skilful). Started in games; now everywhere. |
| Term 233 | 二三三 | èr sān sān | Meaning LOL, haha | Note From a laughing emoji numbered 233 on an old forum. 2333333 = laughing harder. |
| Term 88 | 八八 | bā bā | Meaning bye-bye | Note Sounds like 拜拜. Slightly dated; 886 (拜拜了) is older still. |
| Term 555 | 五五五 | wǔ wǔ wǔ | Meaning boo-hoo (crying) | Note Sounds like 呜呜呜, the sound of crying. |
| Term 9494 | 九四九四 | jiǔ sì jiǔ sì | Meaning exactly! so true! | Note Sounds like 就是就是. Dated (early chat-room era). |
Letter codes (pinyin initials)
The first letters of the pinyin of each character. Typed fast in comments and chats.
| Term | Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term yyds | 永远的神 | yǒngyuǎn de shén | Meaning GOAT, the best ever | Note From 永远滴神 ("eternal god") in esports and livestream chat. Used for idols, athletes, even food. |
| Term xswl | 笑死我了 | xiào sǐ wǒ le | Meaning LMAO, I'm dying of laughter | Note |
| Term awsl | 啊我死了 | ā wǒ sǐ le | Meaning "I'm dead" (it's too cute) | Note Said about something adorable. |
| Term u1s1 | 有一说一 | yǒu yī shuō yī | Meaning to be honest, to be fair | Note |
| Term dddd | 懂的都懂 | dǒng de dōu dǒng | Meaning those who know, know | Note |
| Term plmm | 漂亮美眉 | piàoliang měiméi | Meaning pretty girl | Note Dated (early forum slang). |
| Term bdjw | 不懂就问 | bù dǒng jiù wèn | Meaning just asking (honest question) | Note |
Everyday internet slang
Words that started online and are now part of everyday speech.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吃瓜 | chī guā | Meaning to watch the drama unfold | Note Literally "eat melon". 吃瓜群众 = bystanders enjoying gossip. |
| 躺平 | tǎngpíng | Meaning "lie flat" — opt out of the rat race | Note Doing the minimum instead of competing. |
| 内卷 | nèijuǎn | Meaning involution — exhausting, pointless competition | Note Often shortened to 卷: 太卷了！ = too competitive! |
| 摆烂 | bǎilàn | Meaning to give up and let things rot | Note |
| 打工人 | dǎgōngrén | Meaning worker, wage slave | Note Any employee joking about their working life. |
| 社死 | shèsǐ | Meaning "social death" — utterly embarrassing | Note |
| 破防 | pòfáng | Meaning emotionally hit, "I'm not okay" | Note Literally "defence broken". |
| 凡尔赛 | Fán'ěrsài | Meaning humblebrag | Note Literally "Versailles", from 2020 "Versailles literature" memes: complaining in a way that really shows off. |
| 种草 | zhòngcǎo | Meaning to make someone want to buy something | Note Literally "plant grass". 拔草 = to buy it, or to lose interest. |
| 打卡 | dǎkǎ | Meaning to visit a famous spot (and post it) | Note Literally "punch the clock". |
| 网红 | wǎnghóng | Meaning internet celebrity; Instagrammable | Note 网红店 = a trendy, photogenic café or shop. |
| 吐槽 | tǔcáo | Meaning to roast, to complain about | Note |
| 吃醋 | chī cù | Meaning to be jealous (in love) | Note Literally "eat vinegar". An old everyday expression, not new slang. |
| 学霸 | xuébà | Meaning straight-A student | Note The opposite is 学渣 (xuézhā). |
| 菜鸟 | càiniǎo | Meaning newbie, noob | Note Also just 菜: 我太菜了 = I'm so bad at this. |
| 佛系 | fóxì | Meaning chill, easy-going ("Buddha-like") | Note |
| 摸鱼 | mōyú | Meaning to slack off at work or school | Note Literally "touch fish". |
| 牛马 | niúmǎ | Meaning workhorse | Note Self-mocking word for an overworked employee, newer and darker than 打工人. |
| 班味 | bānwèi | Meaning the tired "office vibe" | Note Literally "work smell": the worn-out look you get from your job. |
| 真香 | zhēn xiāng | Meaning eating your words | Note Literally "smells so good": refusing something, then loving it. |
| 舔狗 | tiǎngǒu | Meaning simp | Note Someone who chases a person who does not care about them. Rude. |
| 上头 | shàngtóu | Meaning hooked, obsessed | Note 下头 (xiàtóu) is the opposite: a total turn-off. |
| 搭子 | dāzi | Meaning activity buddy | Note 饭搭子 = a lunch buddy, 旅游搭子 = a travel buddy. |
| 显眼包 | xiǎnyǎnbāo | Meaning attention-grabbing goofball | Note Said fondly about someone who is loud and funny. |
| 电子榨菜 | diànzǐ zhàcài | Meaning videos you watch while eating | Note Literally "electronic pickles" — something to go with your rice. |
| 栓Q | shuān Q | Meaning "thank you" — sarcastic, meaning I'm fed up | Note From a 2022 viral video with a heavily accented "thank you"; Q is read like qiū. Now fading. |
Sound-alike slang
Cute or funny misspellings that copy the sound of normal words.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 酱紫 | jiàngzǐ | Meaning like this (= 这样子) | Note A cute, lazy way of saying 这样子. Dated. |
| 神马 | shénmǎ | Meaning what (= 什么) | Note Dated. |
| 有木有 | yǒu mù yǒu | Meaning is there or not? (= 有没有) | Note Dated. |
| 蚌埠住了 | Bèngbù zhù le | Meaning can't hold it in (= 绷不住了) | Note Uses the city name 蚌埠 as a pun; said when you burst out laughing or crying. |
| 开森 | kāisēn | Meaning happy (= 开心) | Note Cute, slightly dated. |
| 么么哒 | me me dā | Meaning mwah! kisses | Note Dated but still seen in cute messages. |
Also read: Chinese swear words and insults.
Frequently asked questions
What does 520 mean in Chinese?
520 (wǔ èr líng) sounds like 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), "I love you". 20 May has become a day for couples, and 5201314 means "I love you forever".
What does 666 mean in Chinese?
It means "awesome" or "so skilful". 六 (liù) sounds like 溜, "smooth, skilful". It has nothing to do with the devil.
What does yyds mean?
yyds stands for 永远的神 (yǒngyuǎn de shén), "eternal god" — the Chinese equivalent of GOAT.
What is 躺平 (tang ping)?
"Lying flat": choosing a simple, low-effort life instead of competing for money and status. It became a famous phrase in 2021.