EYESHENZHEN  /   Chinese language

Catch Phrase | 过劳肥（guòláoféi）

“过劳” means “overwork,” and “肥” means “obesity.” Derived from the Japanese term “karoshi,” which means “death from overwork,” this term literally means “overwork-induced obesity.”

2021-03-25

Catch Phrase | 战歌（zhàngē）

“战” means “war,” and “歌” means “songs.” This term, coined by Chinese netizens, refers to the kind of songs or background music that inspire and cheer people up.

2021-03-23

Catch Phrase | 碳中和（tànzhōnghé）

Translated from the English term “carbon neutrality,” this has recently been a buzzword in China after it was mentioned as a goal in Premier Li Keqiang’s government work report made earlier this month.

2021-03-22

Catch Phrase | 小丑竟是我自己（xiǎochǒu jìng shì wǒ zìjǐ）

“小丑” means “clown,” “竟” is an expression of surprise, and “是我自己” means “is myself.”

2021-03-22

Catch Phrase | JK制服（JK zhìfú）

“制服” means “uniforms,” and JK is short for the Japanese words “joshi koukousei” (girl students in high schools).

2021-03-16

Catch Phrase | 伤害性不大，侮辱性极强（shānghàixìng búdà，wǔrǔxìng jíqiáng）

Roughly translated as “not physically but psychologically hurt,” this term coined by Douyin users quickly caught on among Chinese netizens.

2021-03-15

Catch Phrase | 韭零后（jiǔlínghòu）

A homophone of “九零后” (people born after year 1990), this newly coined term replaces the character “九” (meaning “nine”) with “韭” (meaning “leek,” a vegetable used as a metaphor for money-losing retail investors in the Chinese stock market).

2021-03-11

Catch Phrase | 赛博朋克（sàibó péngkè）

This Chinese term is the transliteration (loanword) of the English term “cyberpunk,” which, in science fiction circles, refers to a genre that often features countercultural antiheroes trapped in a dehumanizing high-tech future.

2021-03-09

Catch Phrase | 开荒（kāihuāng）

Literally meaning “to cultivate virgin land,” this Chinese term has been given new meanings.

2021-03-08

Catch Phrase | 拼单名媛（pīndān míngyuán）

“拼单” means “to share the cost of a consumption,” and “名媛” refers to “socialites.”

2021-03-04

Catch Phrase | 857

It originated from a piece of popular disco music titled “Bow Chi Bow,” written by duo Peter Garnefski and Ferry Ridderhof.

2021-03-04

Catch Phrase | 小孩子才做选择题（Xiǎoháizi cái zuò xuǎnzétí）

“小孩子” means “children,” “才” means “only,” and “做选择题” means “to do multiple choice questions.”

2021-03-04

Catch Phrase | 抱团（bàotuán）

Literally translated as “to huddle together,” this term describes a group of people staying close together to keep warm, especially during cold winters.

2021-03-04

Catch Phrase | 黄金赛道（huángjīn sàidào）

“黄金” means “golden,” and “赛道” literally means “race track.” The term appeared in the Chinese language around 2015 when many private equity funds invested generously in numerous online startups.

2021-02-23

Catch Phrase | 阴阳师（yīnyángshī）

“老” means “old,” and “阴阳师” (literal meaning: yin-yang master) refers to fengshui masters who tell fortunes and help people conduct ceremonies to pray for blessings or avert misfortunes.

2021-02-22

Catch Phrase | 原年人（yuánniánrén）

This term is short for “原地过年的人” (yuándì guònián de rén; meaning “people who stay where they work during the Chinese New Year, instead of returning to their hometown for a family reunion”).

2021-02-18

Catch Phrase | 红茶女生（ hóngchá nǚshēng）

“红茶” means “black tea,” and “女生” means “girls.”

2021-02-18

Catch Phrase | 干饭（gànfàn）

“干” means to “do” or “work,” and “饭” means “meals.”

2021-02-18

Catch Phrase | 卖惨（màicǎn）

“卖” literally means to sell, and “惨” means sadness. Together, the word is the Chinese equivalent of sadfishing.

2021-02-18

Catch Phrase | 房子塌了（ fángzǐ tā le）

“房子”is “house,”“塌” means “collapses” and “了” is a marker for perfect tense.

2021-02-02