Catch Phrase | 有内味了(Yǒunèiwèi le)

Writer: Debra Li  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-12-10

Meaning:

In the northern Chinese dialect, the character“那” (nà, that) is often pronounced as “内” (nèi, inside). “有” means “to have,” “味” means “flavor,” and “了” is a marker for perfect tense. Therefore, this phrase frequently used by Chinese netizens today means “to have that flavor now.” While its interpretation depends on the context, this phrase is often used when the speaker wants to express that the person or thing being spoken of strongly represents a certain style. Sometimes another word is used to define “that flavor” to make the term more easily understood.

Example:

A: 你在看什么?

Nǐ zài kàn shénme?

What are you watching?

B: 在看B站视频,有个大叔跳迪斯科。

Zài kàn B zhàn shìpín,yǒu ge dàshū tiào dísīkē。

I’m watching a middle-aged man dancing disco on Bilibili.

A: 有内味了。

Yǒunèiwèi le。

That’s corny, cheesy and hilarious.