Decoding 40 Most Common Chinese Slang Terms of the Year

Master Modern Chinese Lingo: 40 Essential Slang Pairs Driving Chinese Social Media; These slang term pairs perfectly capture the modern life in China.

Hey everyone! Since this channel is all about modern Chinese lingo, let’s dive straight into the code. These aren’t just any type vocabulary; they are a mirror of modern China.

20 Essential Chinese Slang Terms Defining Modern Life

1. E人 / I人 (E rén / I rén): E-Person (Extrovert) / I-Person (Introvert)

2. 宅男 / 现充 (zháinán / xiànchōng): Homebody / Living the Life
   (Indoor person vs person who enjoys real-world connection)

3. 神评论 / 辣评 (shén pínglùn / là píng): Epic comment/ Toxic comment

4. 男神 / 渣男 (nánshén / zhānán): Ideal man / the player (man)

5. 女神 / 渣女 (nǚshén / zhānǚ): Ideal woman / the player (woman)

6. 偷感 / 松弛感 (tōugǎn / sōngchí gǎn): Cringe vibe / Big Dick Energy
   (The unconfident type VS the laid-back confident type)

7. 怨种 / 人精 (yuān zhǒng / rénjīng): Doormat (Fool)/Smooth Operator

8. 社牛 / 社恐 (shèniú / shèkǒng): Extrovert King/Queen / Introvert King/Queen

9. 高富帅 / 矮穷矬 (gāo fù shuài / ǎi qióng cuó):
   The Tall, Rich, Handsome Man / Short, Poor, Ugly Man

10. 白富美 / 黑丑穷 (bái fù měi / hēi chǒu qióng): Rich, Beautiful / Ugly, Poor

11. 小鲜肉 / 老腊肉 (xiǎo xiānròu / lǎo làròu): Young/Old handsome man

12. 学霸 / 学渣 (xuébà / xuézhā):Straight-A student) / Academic Slacker

13. 躺平 / 内卷 (tǎngpíng / nèijuǎn): Quiet quitting/ Hyper-competition (Rat race)

14. 绝绝子 / 烂爆了 (juéjuézi / làn bào le): Unbeatable, Slay / Total Trash (It sucks)

15. 出圈 / 凉了 (chūquān / liáng le): Break Out (Go viral) / Flopped(Failed)

16. 背锅 / 甩锅 (bēiguō / shuǎiguō): Take the blame / Pass the buck

17. 网红 / 路人甲 (wǎnghóng / lùrén): Internet Celebrity /Nobody(Walking lady/man)

18. 人间清醒 / 恋爱脑 (rénjiān qīngxǐng / liàn’ài nǎo): The highly rational, emotionally detached/Obsessed with relationships (Love-Struck or Obsessed)

19. 种草 / 拔草 (zhòngcǎo / bácǎo): Planting Grass (Get Hyped/Create desire) / Pulling Grass (Buy it/Satisfy desire)

20. 摸鱼/划水 (huáshuǐ/ mōyú): Slacking Off/Coasting (Doing the bare minimum)

Note: All slang terms in this list are opposite (antonymous), except for the last pair, which consists of synonyms (or closely related terms).

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