Catch Phrase | 云配偶(yúnpèiǒu)

Writer: Debra Li  | Editor: Stephanie Yang  | From:  | Updated: 2018-11-12

Meaning:

“云” means “cloud,” and “配偶” means “spouse.” This term is the latest development of words and phrases beginning with “cloud.” Previously we’ve had “云养猫,” where feline lovers follow the social accounts of cat owners in real life and send their loved pets money and gifts. In a word, it’s the virtual experience of keeping a pet. “A spouse on the cloud,” in contrast, is less pleasant. Married women use the term to complain about their husbands who do not contribute their share in child-rearing and housework, comparing them to something not real and not present.

Example:

A: 你每天好忙啊,又要上班又要照顾孩子。

Nǐ měitiān hǎo máng a,yòuyào shàngbān yòuyào zhàogù háizi。

You are so busy every day. Working full time, you also need to take care of your kid.

B: 没办法。因为我老公是典型的云配偶。

Méi bànfǎ 。Yīnwéi wǒ lǎogōng shì diǎnxíng de yúnpèiǒu。

I don’t have a choice because my husband is a “spouse on the cloud.” (He never helps.)