粉红税

Meaning:

Translated from the English phrase “pink tax,” this theory suggests that products marketed to women are priced higher than nearly identical products intended for men. In 2015, this issue attracted significant attention when the Department of Consumer Affairs in New York City discovered numerous instances of gender-based pricing among 794 products sold in the city to consumers of all ages. Researchers have been observing and analyzing this phenomenon since at least the 1990s. Chinese researchers have also identified this issue in recent years, as evidenced by a 2022 study from Shenzhen University that analyzed over 20,000 product listings on jd.com, supporting the theory.

Example:

A: 这只欧莱雅男士洗面奶你是买给男朋友的吗？

Zhèzhī ōuláiyǎ nánshì xǐmiànnǎi nǐ shì mǎi gěi nánpéngyou de ma？

Did you buy this L’Oreal men’s facial cleanser for your boyfriend?

B: 不是，我买给自己用的，和女生用的差不多，省了粉红税。

Búshì， wǒ mǎi gěi zìjǐ yòng de， hé nǚshēng yòng de chàbùduō，shěng le fěnhóngshuì。

No, I bought it for myself. The product isn’t much different from the one for women, but I can save some money by avoiding the pink tax.