EYESHENZHEN  /   Chinese language

Catch Phrase | 撸铁（lūtiě）

“撸” is a verb from northeastern Chinese dialect which either means to “rub something (like leaves) off from a branch” or “work hard to hone one’s skills,” and “铁” means “iron,” which in this context refers to dumbbells or other strength training equipment in gyms.

2018-10-09

Catch Phrase | 撸串（lūchuàn）

“撸” is a verb from northeastern Chinese dialect which either means to “rub something (like leafs) off from a branch” or “work hard to hone one’s skills,” and “串” means “kebabs” or “meat and vegetables held on sticks.”

2018-10-08

Catch Phrase | 古早（gǔzǎo）

“古” means “ancient,” and “早” means “early.” This term, originating in Fujian and Taiwan provinces, refers to “ancient” and “from old times.”

2018-10-08

Catch Phrase | 喜提（xǐtí）

"喜" means "joyfully," and "提" means to "pick up" (as in "pick up a car one has paid for from the dealership").

2018-09-20

Catch Phrase | 懒婚族（lǎnhūnzú）

"懒" means "lazy," "婚" means "marriage," and "族" refers to a group of people sharing similarities. Coined by Chinese netizens, this term refers to those who live comfortably with a high-paying job and prefer to remain single.

2018-09-18

Catch Phrase | 断更（duàngēng）

"断" means to "discontinue," and "更" is short for "更新," which means to "refresh one's social media account status or online novels."

2018-09-17

Catch Phrase | 白月光（báiyuèguāng）

Quoted from late Chinese author Eileen Chang’s novel “Red Rose, White Rose,” this term refers to a spotless woman a man cherishes in his memory whom he loved but who is no longer with him.

2018-09-13

Catch Phrase | 鸡娃（jīwá）

“鸡” means “chick,” and “娃” means “kids.” This word is derived from “打鸡血” (literally, inject chicken blood), a metaphor for “full of energy,” since chicken blood had been used as a popular stimulant to boost people’s energy in China during the 1970s.

2018-09-11

Catch Phrase | 仙股（xiāngǔ）

“仙” is the transliteration of the English word “cent,” and “股” means “stock.”

2018-09-10

Catch Phrase | 体商（ tǐshāng）

Similar to IQ and EQ, the term “body quotient” refers to a scale from zero to 100 used to evaluate the physical health condition of a person, as people pay increasing attention to their physical wellbeing nowadays.

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 肥宅快乐水（féizhái kuàilè shuǐ）

“肥” means “fat,” “宅” means “home,” “快乐” means “happy,” and “水” refers to “water.” “肥宅” is a recent term coined by Chinese netizens to refer to those who are fat and prefer to stay home watching shows or playing games rather than go outdoors and socialize.

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 高光时刻（gāoguāng shíkè）

“高光” is the literal translation of the English word “highlight,” and “时刻” means “moment.”

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 头部效应（tóubù xiàoyìng）

“头部” literally means “head,” and “效应” means “effect.” This term, appearing in Chinese media frequently, is roughly the same as the “80-20 rule,” or the “Pareto Principle.”

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 爽文（shuǎngwén）

“爽” means “very pleasurable,” and “文” means “text.”

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 神棍剧（shéngùnjù）

“神棍” refers to fraudsters who trick people into believing they have supernatural power, and “剧” means “show.”

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 红海（hónghǎi）

Translated as “red ocean,” this is a concept easy to understand. Unlike blue oceans, the red ocean is where every industry is today.

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 瓦特（wǎtè）

Originating from Shanghai dialect, “瓦特” is used to replace another word with the same pronunciation in the dialect, which should be “坏掉,” meaning “broken.”

2018-09-06

Catch Phrase | 家里有矿啊（jiālǐ yǒu kuàng a）

Literally, this sentence can be translated as “Do you have a mine in your family?” As everyone knows, mine owners are often super rich.

2018-09-05

Catch Phrase | 割韭菜（gējiǔcài）

“韭菜” refers to Chinese leek, a green leafy vegetable known for its vitality. When the part of the vegetable above ground is harvested, the bulb underground will sprout new leafs in a short period.

2018-09-05

Catch Phrase | 人畜无害（rénchù wúhài）

“人” means “human,” “畜” means “beast,” and “无害” means “harmless.”

2018-09-05