Internet Culture Chinese Slang — 1200+ Terms with Pinyin & English — Page 5 | Chinese Slang

This section of the Chinese Slang Dictionary focuses on Internet Culture slang. Each entry includes the Chinese characters (汉字), pinyin pronunciation with tone marks, an English translation, at least one example sentence showing real usage, and cultural context explaining where the term comes from and how it is used. Terms are sorted by community popularity. Browse the full list below or use the search bar to find a specific term.

Internet Culture Slang Terms

山寨币 (shān zhài bì)

Altcoin / Knockoff coin - Any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin.

Altcoins are very risky, be careful of going to zero.

大厂 (dà chǎng)

Big Factory — slang for China's major tech giants: Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, Huawei, Baidu, Meituan, and similar companies.

He spent three years preparing and finally got an offer from a big tech company.

瓶盖 (pínggài)

Literally meaning 'bottle cap,' this term is used in online conversations to refer to someone who rarely contributes or participates in discussions, akin to being mute in a group. It can be playful or critical.

In this group, you’re just a bottle cap, not contributing much.

追随者 (zhuī suí zhě)

Translating to 'followers,' this term refers to people who follow a particular trend, celebrity, or influencer, often in a fanatical way. It emphasizes the nature of digital fandom and the impact of social media.

He has thousands of followers on his social media.

抖音土味 (dǒu yīn tǔ wèi)

Translating to 'Douyin earthy flavor,' this term describes content that feels rustic or unrefined but is popular on short-video platforms like Douyin. It often embraces a certain charm that appeals to audiences.

His videos have a kind of earthy flavor that makes them especially popular.

小蓝人 (xiǎo lán rén)

'Little blue man' refers to a user on social media who shares absurd or humorous opinions. It’s often used to describe meme creators.

The jokes from this little blue man are so funny that I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

归零 (guī líng)

Going to zero - When a cryptocurrency loses all its value.

This coin went to zero, all invested money is gone.

小粉红 (xiǎo fěn hóng)

Often refers to young, fervent nationalists who express strong patriotic views online. Originally neutral, it sometimes carries a negative connotation when describing overly aggressive or extreme supporters.

Those little pinks are always arguing online, defending their views.

狭义真香 (xiá yì zhēn xiāng)

This phrase means 'narrowly defined real fragrance' and is used humorously to express unexpected appreciation for something initially dismissed. It indicates a change of heart towards something that turns out to be en...

I’ve started to feel that this song is really nice; it’s unexpectedly enjoyable!

共情 (gòng qíng)

Empathy — the ability to share and understand another's feelings. Used in discussions of viral emotional content to describe why something spread: 雪山救狐狸 triggered mass 共情 in viewers who felt what the fox or the rescue...

The reason this video went viral is because everyone felt a strong empathy with the fox.

黑科技 (hēi kējì)

Translating to 'black technology', this term refers to advanced, often innovative technologies that seem to defy conventional understanding. It’s used to describe cutting-edge trends, particularly in tech discussions.

The features of this phone are truly black technology.

火推 (huǒ tuī)

Meaning 'hot push', it refers to trending topics or content that gain sudden popularity, particularly on social media.

After this song became a hot push, everyone started discussing it.

翻译官 (fān yì guān)

Meaning 'translator,' this term has been adapted in internet slang to humorously refer to someone who interprets or decodes complex social media posts or memes. It reflects the need for clarity in a world full of mixe...

This post is too hard to understand; could I get a translator to help out?

救赎感 (jiù shú gǎn)

Sense of redemption — the emotional uplift you get from witnessing or participating in a compassionate act. Became widely used after 雪山救狐狸 as a label for the specific emotional high of watching someone do something ge...

Seeing this video gave me a sudden sense of redemption — I felt like the world is still a good place.

上下班 (shàng xià bān)

This term literally means 'to go to and from work' and often represents the daily grind of commuting and working life. It illustrates the routine that many people follow during weekdays.

I spend two hours commuting to and from work every day.

金光闪闪 (jīn guāng shǎn shǎn)

Translating to 'glittering gold,' this term describes something shiny or showy. It is often used to describe ostentatious behavior or appearances.

The glittering gold outfit she wore today was so eye-catching.

抖音洗脑 (dǒu yīn xǐ nǎo)

Literally 'Douyin brainwashing,' this term describes catchy content or trends on the Douyin platform that get stuck in one’s head, often referring to repetitive songs or memes.

I’ve watched this catchy Douyin video many times.

功夫 (gōng fū)

Kung Fu — both the martial art and the title of Stephen Chow's 2004 masterpiece. The film's exaggerated fight sequences and underdog hero story made 功夫 a reference for any absurd, spectacular skill demonstration, or f...

He seemed completely ordinary until he got on stage — like the underdog in Kung Fu Hustle, everyone was shocked.

沦为 (lún wéi)

This term means 'to become' and is often used to express disappointment in how someone has changed for the worse. It reflects a sense of loss or regret.

How did he become such a person?

巨头 (jù tóu)

Literally means 'giant head' but is used to describe influential figures or companies in various industries, particularly in technology and finance. It indicates power and dominance in their respective fields.

This tech giant is changing the market landscape.

耳朵怀孕 (ěr duǒ huái yùn)

Meaning 'your ears are pregnant', this phrase is humorously used to describe music or sounds that are so good, they elicit a strong emotional response. It’s a playful way to convey musical enjoyment.

This song is so good, it's like my ears are pregnant!

大招 (dà zhāo)

Literally meaning 'big move,' this term is primarily used in gaming to refer to a powerful skill or ability that can turn the tide of a battle. It's also used metaphorically in other contexts to describe a significant...

He used a big move in the match and turned the situation around.

大甩卖 (dà shuǎi mài)

Meaning 'big clearance sale', this term is often used in marketing contexts to indicate a significant price drop or promotion. It's commonly used on e-commerce platforms to attract buyers.

This brand's products are now on big clearance sale; come grab them!

PY交易 (pì yǎn jiāo yì)

Backdoor deal / nepotism / ass-kissing transaction — PY is a vulgar abbreviation for 屁眼 (pì yǎn, "a**hole"). PY交易 refers to shady deals done through personal connections, favors, or bribery rather than merit. Used to ...

This award is obviously a backdoor deal — has nothing to do with actual talent.

必看 (bì kàn)

Literally translating to 'must see,' this term is used to recommend movies, shows, or content that is considered essential viewing. It conveys a sense of urgency and importance in recommendations.

This movie is truly a must-see; it's so touching.

黑话 (hēi huà)

This term literally means 'black talk' and refers to coded language or jargon used within specific communities, often used to convey insider information.

Do you understand this insider jargon? I'm still a bit confused.

铁憨憨 (tiě hān hān)

Iron Dummy — affectionate nickname for robots, especially delivery robots and service robots, that are visibly limited or fail in endearing ways.

That food delivery robot got stuck spinning in the doorway — what an iron dummy.

生成 (shēng chéng)

This term translates to 'generate' and is often used in the context of creating content, especially in AI discussions or when someone is discussing creativity and output. It can imply that something was produced rapid...

The melody of this song is generated too easily.

媚宅 (mèi zhái)

Referring to the phenomenon of being overly accommodating or pleasing to 'homebodies' or fans, often in online communities. It implies creating content that caters to niche preferences.

The content of these videos is really catering to homebodies; it perfectly matches my taste.

火钳刘明 (huǒ qián liú míng)

This phrase humorously means 'fire tongs Liu Ming' but is a play on words for '火前留名' (leave your name before the fire). It's used when someone wants to leave a lasting impression or create a memorable moment.

I must make a memorable impact in this competition!

矿工 (kuàng gōng)

Miner - Someone who mines cryptocurrency.

Miners are all looking for places with cheap electricity.

奶茶经济 (nǎi chá jīng jì)

Literally meaning 'milk tea economy,' this term refers to the economic impact and popularity of bubble tea and similar beverages among young consumers. It symbolizes the spending power and consumption habits of the yo...

The milk tea economy is booming right now; everyone loves to drink it.

emoji梗 (emoji gěng)

This term refers to 'emoji memes', which are memes that use emojis to convey humor or express feelings. It highlights how emojis have become integral in modern communication.

I like to use emoji memes to express my feelings.

小马甲 (xiǎomǎjiǎ)

This term, which means 'little vest', refers to a secondary account or persona that people create, often for anonymity or to express different sides of themselves online.

I use a secondary account to express myself on the forum and protect my privacy.

云宠物 (yún chǒng wù)

Translates to 'cloud pet', this term refers to virtual pets or pets that can be interacted with online rather than physical ones. It reflects a shift in how people engage with companionship in a digital space.

I've raised a cloud pet in the game; it's super cute.

魔性 (mó xìng)

Translating to 'magical nature,' this term describes something that is captivating or irresistibly addictive, often used in relation to songs, memes, or trends that are impossible to forget.

This song is really captivating; I can't help but want to listen to it again.

水贴 (shuǐ tiē)

Translating to 'water post,' this term refers to low-quality or meaningless posts on forums or social media, often intended to fill space rather than provide valuable content. It's a critique of poor engagement.

I don’t want to post meaningless content; let’s write something with depth.

小主 (xiǎo zhǔ)

Young Mistress - elevated title now widely used in customer service

Young Mistress, your bubble tea is ready for pickup.

护生 (hù shēng)

Protecting life — used both in its traditional Buddhist sense of non-harm to all living beings and as a modern hashtag for animal rescue and conservation content. Spread widely as a caption for wildlife rescue videos ...

This is a genuine act of protecting life — not done for views.

推特式思维 (tuī tè shì sī wéi)

Refers to a 'Twitter-style mindset,' characterized by concise communication and immediate responses, often focusing on trends and current events. It suggests a tendency towards superficial engagement.

In our information-exploding era, many people have developed a Twitter-style mindset.

靠脸吃饭 (kào liǎn chī fàn)

Literal translation means 'to eat by face,' referring to individuals whose attractiveness plays a crucial role in their success, especially in entertainment or social media contexts. It implies that appearance matters...

In this industry, many people succeed based on looks.

全网最强 (quán wǎng zuì qiáng)

Translating to 'the strongest on the entire internet', this term is often used humorously or boastfully to refer to someone or something that stands out significantly, often in a sarcastic tone.

He claims to be the strongest player on the entire internet, but he's actually just a newbie.

推高 (tuī gāo)

This slang means 'to push up' and is often used to describe someone who exaggerates or promotes something beyond its actual value, commonly in marketing or online promotions.

He always pushes up his products, which ends up disappointing people.

状态 (zhuàng tài)

While it literally means 'status,' it refers to social media updates about one's thoughts, feelings, or momentary life events. It's often used in casual conversations about sharing or updating one's life.

Her status today seems not very good.

牛市 (niú shì)

Bull market - A rising market where prices are going up.

The bull market is here, everyone is making money.

鸡头 (jītóu)

Literally meaning 'chicken head,' this slang refers to someone who is ahead of the group, often used to describe a show-off in social situations. It can be used both positively and negatively, depending on the context.

He's always sharing his opinions in the group, he's really a show-off.

空投 (kōng tóu)

Airdrop - Free token distribution to wallet holders.

This project is doing an airdrop, go claim it!

小众文化 (Xiǎo zhòng wénhuà)

Refers to niche cultures or subcultures that don't have widespread popularity. It speaks to the appreciation of lesser-known interests and communities, often used in a positive light.

I've recently started exploring niche cultures and discovered many interesting things.

云蹇 (yún jiǎn)

Translating to 'cloud stride', this term signifies a feeling of floating or being carefree, often in the context of online gaming or virtual activities. It expresses a sense of ease and enjoyment in digital environments.

When playing games, I feel like I'm floating carefree, completely relaxed.

打金 (dǎ jīn)

Gold farming / Play to earn - Making money by playing blockchain games.

He earns thousands per month gold farming.

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