Spotting English in Chinese: What You Need to Know
Why Do Chinese Speakers Use English? Common Crossovers Revealed
Hi friend
How's your Chinese coming along? Ready for a linguistic puzzle?
Decode this: "别被PUA了." (Bié bèi PUA le).
Suspiciously familiar, right? PUA - it's everywhere in Chinese!
PUA: means manipulative behaviour in relationships.
(e.g., "别被他 PUA 了" - Don't let him manipulate you).
We use it because no single Chinese word quite captures its full meaning.
If you insist on one: 洗脑操纵 (xǐnǎo cāozòng), but can’t catch the nuances.
Boost Your Listening: Common English Words in Chinese
OK: Okay (Your instant backup when Chinese escapes you.)
OMG: You'll hear "Oh My God!" – with a Chinese twist!
high: To be excited, happy, or hyped up. (e.g., "今天的派对比较high !)
out: Used to describe something or someone as outdated or out of fashion. (e.g., we use like this: "你太 out 了!" - You're so out of touch!)
low: 很low (hěn low). (we use like this: e.g., "这事儿/这人挺 low 的" - This thing/person is pretty low-class/tacky)
get (到): To understand, grasp a point. (e.g., "我 get 到了" - I got it/I understand)
solo: To do something alone. (e.g., "她喜欢 solo 旅游" - She likes to travel solo)
show: To show off or display something. (e.g., "别show 了" = 别秀了)
C位 (C wèi): Center position (e.g., "她站在 C 位" - She's standing in the center position, we use this one A LOT)
KPI: Key Performance Indicator. You'll often hear it in phrases like "我们有 KPI 压力" (We have KPI pressure) – it's a go-to English term in the workplace, because the Chinese word for it is too long. 😂.
in Chinese is: 关键绩效指标 (guān jiàn xiào shè zhǐ biāo)PPT (PPT): PowerPoint Presentation. (e.g., "做个 PPT" we barely use the Chinese term 幻灯片, always say PPT since I remeber)
Hack (黑客 - hēikè): Hacker. (e.g., "一个黑客入侵了系统" - A hacker broke into the system)
打call (dǎ call): To cheer for / Show support for. (e.g., "为偶像打call" - cheer for your idol)
CP (couple pairing): Romantic pairing. (e.g., "这对 CP 好甜" - This couple pairing is so sweet)
EMO (emo): Feeling down, depressed. (e.g., "最近有点 EMO" - Feeling a bit emo lately, most Chinese speakers know this word from C-drama)
DISS (diss): To disrespect or criticise (e.g. "他在 diss 别人" - He's dissing others, in Chinese can be three different words:
嘲讽 (cháofěng) 贬低 (biǎndī) 互怼 (hùduì)Sound-Based Chinese English Crossovers
沙发 (shāfā): Sofa
咖啡 (kāfēi): Coffee
巧克力 (qiǎokèlì): Chocolate
巴士 (bāshì): Bus
的士 (díshì): Taxi
酷 (kù): Cool
沙拉 (shālā): Salad
披萨 (pīsà): Pizza
芝士 (zhīshì): Cheese
迪斯科 (dísīkē): Disco
博客 (bókè): Blog
派对 (pàiduì): Party
瑜伽 (yújiā): Yoga
可乐 (kělè): Cola
引擎 (yǐnqíng): Engine
基因 (jīyīn): Gene
逻辑 (luójí): Logic
脱口秀 (tuōkǒu xiù): Talk show
模特 (mótè): Model (fashion/art)
三明治 (sānmíngzhì): Sandwich
麦克风 (màikèfēng): Microphone
And there you have it! This journey through English words crossing over into Chinese truly shows how dynamic and fun language learning can be.
Recognizing these borrowed terms can give you an instant "aha!" moment and help you feel more connected to everyday Chinese conversations.
Did any of these surprise you? Or do you know other English crossovers you hear often? Share in the comments below!
Cheers
Selina
Course Developer