Catch Phrase | 彩蛋(cǎidàn)

Writer: Debra Li  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2021-08-02

Meaning:

“彩蛋,” which literally means “Easter eggs,” originally represented the resurrection of Jesus at Easter, an important Christian holiday. Painting eggs and finding hidden eggs have become a tradition of the occasion. Therefore, Chinese movie fans use the term “Easter eggs” as a metaphor for post-credits scenes at the end of a movie, whose contents are often funny outtakes created while shooting the movie or short trailers for a sequel. Sometimes, people also use it to refer to the minute details with special significance in the movie, to be spotted only by the most discerning fans.

Example:

A: 上周我推荐的那部电影你看了吗?

Shàngzhōu wǒ tuījiàn de nàbù diànyǐng nǐ kàn le ma?

Did you watch the movie I recommended last week?

B: 看了,真不错。片尾的彩蛋让我非常期待续集。

Kàn le ,zhēn búcuò。Piānwěi de cǎidàn ràng wǒ fēicháng qīdài xùjí。

Yes, I did. It’s a great film. I’m already looking forward to watch its sequel after seeing the post-credits scenes.