When you’re learning Chinese, discovering 流行用语, aka Chinese slang expressions (liú xíng yòng yǔ) is a fun and interesting way to get a deeper understanding of the language and culture. However, before diving in, it’s important to know which phrases are appropriate to use in different situations. In this article, we’ll be exploring some of the most interesting, quirky, and downright wacky slang expressions in Chinese to know in 2023, along with their meanings and how to use them in context. Prepare to spice up your Chinese vocabulary with some seriously meowy slang!

1. Chinese slang: 蒟蒻 (jǔ ruò)

First up in your collection of popular words to know is 蒟蒻, a self-deprecating slang term used to refer to oneself as a noob or a newbie.

You’ll see it often used in online gaming communities and online. If you’re a new player to a game, for instance, you might say:
我是蒟蒻，还请多多关照
Wǒ shì jǔ ruò, hái qǐng duō duō guān zhào
I’m a noob, please take care of me.

Here’s how to use this slang expression in context:
A: 你打得好烂啊，是不是蒟蒻啊？
Nǐ dǎ de hǎo làn a，shì bù shì jǔruò a?
You play so poorly, are you a newbie?

B: 没错，我才刚开始学呢。
Méi cuò，wǒ cái gāng kāi shǐ xué ne
B: Yes, I’m just getting started.

Fun fact: Look up 蒟蒻 and you’ll see pictures of konjac, that calorie-free plant that was a popular noodle substitute a while back.
How did we get to “noob” from there? Konjac in Chinese (蒟蒻 (jǔ ruò) sounds like 巨[jù] 弱[ruò], which means very weak. From there, it’s easy to picture how online, especially, this came to mean “noob”.

2. 酱紫 (jiàng zǐ)

Next up is another great buzzword to know is 酱紫.

Because it sounds very similar to 这样子, it also means “like this” or “in this way”. The difference is that you will often use it playfully or sarcastically.

For example, if someone says “你怎么不去问问他呢? (nǐ zěn me bù qù wèn wèn tā ne?) which means “Why don’t you go ask him?”, you could sarcastically respond with “酱紫啊，太感谢你的好建议了” (jiàng zǐ a, tài gǎn xiè nǐ de hǎo jiàn yì le), which means “Oh, great idea, thanks so much!”

A: 今天要开会，你怎么穿得这么随便？
Jīntiān yào kāihuì，nǐ zěn me chuān dé zhè me suí biàn？
We have a meeting today, why are you dressed so casually?

B: 酱紫不行吗？
Jiàng zǐ bù xíng ma?
What’s wrong with that?

3. Chinese slang expression: 吃瓜 (chī guā)

Meaning “to eat watermelon seeds,” you’ll find 吃瓜 (chī guā) is a meowvelous slang expression to use to describe someone who is watching a situation from the sidelines without directly getting involved. It’s often used to describe people who are gossiping or watching drama unfold without participating in it themselves.

It’s purrfect to talk about bystanders or gawkers. For example, you can say:
他们两个人吵架了，我们都在一旁吃瓜看戏。
Tāmen liǎng gè rén chǎojià le，wǒmen dōu zài yī páng chī guā kàn xì
The two of them were arguing, and we were all standing by watching and waiting to see what would happen

Or
吃瓜群众看热闹。
Chī guā qúnzhòng kàn rènao.
The crowd watches the excitement with interest.

Curious to see 吃瓜 (chī guā) used in context? Here are two dialogues using it:

A: 这个新闻真扯。
Zhège xīnwén zhēn chě.
This news is sensationalized.

B: 别说了，我们只是吃瓜群众。
Bié shuō le, wǒmen zhǐshì chīguā qúnzhòng.
Let’s not say anything, we’re just bystanders watching the drama.

Here’s another way to use this Chinese slang expression:
A: 你听说了吗？ 王老师辞职了。
Nǐ tīngshuō le ma？ Wáng lǎoshī cízhí le.
Have you heard? Teacher Wang resigned.

B: 没有，怎么回事？
Méi yǒu，zěn me huí shì ？
No, what happened?

A: 不知道，我也是刚刚在微博上看到的，咱们吃瓜看热闹吧！
Bù zhīdào，wǒ yě shì gāng gang zài Wēibó shàng kàn dào de，zánmen chīguā kàn rènao ba ！
I don’t know. I just saw it on Weibo. Let’s just watch and see what happens.

4. 搞笑 (gǎo xiào)

搞笑 means “funny” or “humorous” and is often used to describe comedic content. For example, if you watch a funny video on Chinese social media, you might say “这个视频真的太搞笑了” (zhè ge shì pín zhēn de tài gǎo xiào le), which means “This video is really funny.”

A: 这个视频好搞笑啊！
Zhè ge shìpín hǎo  gǎoxiào le
This video is so funny!

B: 我也觉得，笑得我肚子疼。
Wǒ yě jué de xiào de wǒ dùzi téngI think so too, I laughed until my stomach hurt.

Think about who you’re talking to when using this Chinese-language expression: 搞笑 gǎo xiào could be considered somewhat informal and may not be appropriate in certain professional or formal settings.

5. The popular expression: 神犇 (shén bēn)

You use the slang term 神犇 (shén bēn) to describe someone extremely talented or skilled in a particular area. Imagine, if you know someone who is a talented musician, you might say to brag about them to your friends “他真是一个音乐神犇” (tā zhēn shì yī gè yīn yuè shén bēn). That means “He’s a real musical genius.”

Here’s how you can use this slang expression in context:

A: 他真的是个神犇，什么都会。
Tā zhēn de shì gè shénbēn，shénme dōu huì
He’s really a genius, he can do anything.

B: 是啊，我都有点佩服他了。
Shì a， wǒ dōu yǒu diǎn pèi fú tā le。
Yeah, I’m starting to admire him.

Fun fact: 神 means “god”. And because the character 犇 contains three times the character “牛” (cow”), and something “牛” is awesome in Chinese, this expression 神犇 took on the meaning of “十分牛”, that is to say, “extremely good”, to the point of being “god-like”.

6. Celebrate with the buzzword 撒花 (sā huā)

Want to celebrate something? Then, 撒花 (sā huā) is the expression you’ll want to use. It’s similar to saying “hooray” or “yay” in English.

So, for instance, if you’re told your friend won the lottery or another piece of good news, you might respond with 撒花 (sā huā!), which means “Hooray!”

A: 我通过了考试，撒花！
Wǒ tōngguò le kǎoshì，sāhuā！
I passed the exam, celebrate with me!

B: 恭喜恭喜，要好好庆祝一下！
Gōng xǐ gōng xǐ ， yào hǎo hǎo qìng zhù yī xià
Congratulations, we should definitely celebrate!

7. 摸鱼 (mō yú)

摸鱼 (mō yú) is a slang term you use to describe someone who is slacking off or goofing off. You’ll find it particularly handy to describe a situation where someone is not working hard or as diligently as they should be.

For example, if your colleague at work in China is taking a long break and not doing their work, you might say:
他今天一直在摸鱼
Tā jīntiān yīzhí zài mōyú
He’s been slacking off all day.

Here’s how you can use this popular expression in context:
A: 你最近在忙什么呢?
Nǐ zuì jìn zài máng shén me ne?
What have you been busy with lately?

B: 最近上班太累了，经常摸鱼。
Zuì jìn shàng bān tài lèi le, jīng cháng mō yú
I’ve been really tired at work lately, so I’ve been slacking off a lot.

8.双倍奉还 (shuāng bèi fèng huán)

双倍奉还 is an idiom in Chinese that means “to pay back twice as much” or “to retaliate with double the force.” It’s often used to describe situations where someone has been wronged or hurt and is seeking justice or revenge. For example, if someone steals from you, you might say “我一定让他双倍奉还” (wǒ yī dìng ràng tā shuāng bèi fèng huán), which means “I will make him pay back twice as much.”

This expression can also be used in a playful way, such as when someone gives you a gift or does something nice for you. In this case, you might say “谢谢你的礼物，我会双倍奉还的” (xiè xiè nǐ de lǐwù, wǒ huì shuāng bèi fèng huán de), which means “Thank you for your gift, I will repay you doubly.”

Here’s another dialogue showing you how to use this expression:

A: 你欠我的钱，什么时候还？
Nǐ qiàn wǒ de qián，shén me shí hou huán
A: You owe me money, when will you pay me back?

B: 不用急，我会尽快还你，双倍奉还。
Bù yòng jí，wǒ huì jǐn kuài hái nǐ，shuāng bèi fèng huán.
Don’t worry, I’ll repay you as soon as possible, with double the amount.

A cultural note on slang expressions in Chinese

Slang expressions are an important part of the Chinese language and culture. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, using slang is a great way to connect with native speakers, add some personality to your language skills, and maybe even score a few laughs along the way.

Just remember, these phrases can be playful and interesting, as long as you use them appropriately and stay aware of their nuances and connotations. While these phrases can be tons of fun, it’s important to be aware of their connotations and usage contexts so that you can use them with confidence and respect. When in doubt, for instance, exercise discretion, and check what setting you’re in. In professional and formal settings, particularly, it’s advisable to err on the side of caution and use more neutral language.

And once you have that in mind, especially when you’re with friends you trust, purrfect! Give these slang expressions a try in a safe space, with your friends, so they can tell you without being shocked if you screwed up using a word! Go ahead and start using these phrases in your daily life, impress your friends with your cool Chinese slang, and don’t forget to have fun with it!

On that note, there you have it, folks! We hope you’ve enjoyed this wild ride through some of the most popular and fun slang expressions in Chinese to know in 2023.

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese, which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or on your phone with the Android app.

Enjoy!

Sarah &

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post 8 Fun Chinese Slang Expressions to Impress Your Friends in 2023 appeared first on Ninchanese.

只是开玩笑

kāi wán xiào

Just kidding

This is the perfect sentence to know when you make a joke in China. Why is that?

Why you need to know how to say “Just kidding”when you make a joke in China

We, western people, often use a kind of sarcastic humor or make jokes based on exaggeration. Imagine the situation when a Chinese friend makes you strange-looking chicken claws to eat (which don’t turn out to be sometimes you like) You may sarcastically say “wow, that was delicious, I could eat that at every dinner! I’ll take another plate!… ” but they will run to grab you another plate.

That’s the kind of joke that most of the time they won’t get, and will take it seriously instead. That’s where a good 只是 开玩笑! can be placed.

Chinese people are usually accustomed to a different kind of humor. Chinese humor can be pretty hard to get for us because it’s often based on linguistics, tones and wordplay. Also, they can look a lot more serious than Westerners when making jokes. See, they really like cold/black humor (冷笑话 – lěng xiào huà) said without any expression on their face. You could view Chinese humor as a more “serious” flavor of humor.

Another thing the Chinese are not entirely accustomed to doing is to make fun of themselves, whereas we often make self-deprecating comments, or don’t mind looking silly for the sake of a good laugh. The focus on ‘face’ and fear of being ridiculed can exclude them from an entire genre of humor.

So let your Chinese friends know you are joking by saying 只是 开玩笑!

If you must make a bad, crappy, ridiculously mean joke, just make sure you are close enough to your audience so that they won’t feel offended. Alright? And remember: 只是开玩笑 is your best friend when you make a joke in China and it falls flat!

So, remember: 只是开玩笑 is your best friend when you make a joke in China and it falls flat!

Source: Quora

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post What do you say to people when you make a joke in China? appeared first on Ninchanese.

厲害了，我的哥!

Lì hài le, wǒ de gē!

You rock, brother!

How the slang expression “厲害了，我的哥!” appeared

The expression 厲害了，我的哥! Lì hài le wǒ de gē has gotten pretty popular online and especially in the gaming circle in China. It became popular when a military student was caught by his military training instructor playing the popular game King’s Glory on his phone. The funny story starts here. The instructor happened to also be a fan of this game and played along with the student. As they became stronger together, they started to win. The high school students could not believe what was happening and started commenting the gaming skill of the instructor. Tada! ” 厲害了我的哥” popped out and became a wide-spread expression in China. I love this story of this newborn expression!

How to use “You rock” in Chinese

Use this slang expression in Mandarin to express astonishment or amazement. You can use it in a lot of situations. You can also use it with everybody: just replace the last word 哥, “brother” with what you need to address people!

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post Popular Chinese Slang Expression 厉害了，我的歌！Lì hài le wǒ de gē! appeared first on Ninchanese.

Why is today so special in China?

The 20th of May is a very special day for the Chinese because they celebrate love on this day! For the Chinese, today is like a Valentine’s day.

During this lovely day, couples go on a date or spend time together. And for those who are single, well, it’s a perfect time for them to be brave and show their love to their main crush! Nobody can resist a declaration of love at this special event!

How did 5.20 come to equal a Chinese love word that says I love you?

Talking about this special event, you may wonder why it occurs on this day and not another one in Chinese. The answer is quite simple. It’s all about the sounds. When you write May 20th in numbers, it’s written 5.20. When you pronounce the numbers 5. 2. 0 in Chinese, 五二零 wǔ èr líng, they sound very close to the words 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ. See? They don’t sound the same, but they sound quite similar, and that’s enough! The Chinese love plays on homophonic words and numbers with hidden meanings.
520 originally started as a slang word used by the Chinese online as a shortcut to say I love you in Chinese, like ILY in English. It then came to be associated with the date May 20th (5.20), which became a very romantic day!

Show your love with 520!

The Chinese love numbers and their hidden meanings

The Chinese people sure love this romantic day, as they have strong beliefs regarding numbers. You may know how some numbers are considered lucky and some unauspicious in Chinese. Certain number combinations also have secret meanings.

For example, did you hear of the wedding record set in China on 2012.12.12? In China, tons of couples got married on that special day because it was said to be a lucky day for lovers. See, in Chinese, you can pronounce 12 一二 yāo èr. (in Chinese, when talking about a phone number or a street, 1 is pronounced yāo instead of yī). The sound of yāoèr is close to the sound of 要爱 yào ài, which means to want love. So 2012.12.12 stood for “to want love, to want love, to want love.” What a lovely day to get married, huh?!

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

Start Learning Now

As for 520, it means 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ, and is a great Chinese love word to say today (and whenever you can) to your loved one. When you do, make sure you pronounce each word individually, because saying 5 五 wǔ and 20 二十 èr shí doesn’t work the same! Also, be careful not to mix it up with 250 二百五 èrbǎiwǔ, another number with a special meaning, but that means something totally different! 250 èrbǎiwǔ means idiot, stupid. Trust me; your lover won’t appreciate it if, instead of sending a cute 520 (I love you) text or saying it to them, you write 250. 嘻嘻.
If you like the idea of communicating in numbers, you can also take it up a notch and tell your boo 5201314! Why? 520, you know, is the Chinese love word to use today, and 1314 represents 一生一世 yīshēng yīshì (for a lifetime). So if you say 5201314, you’re saying I love you for a lifetime. So romantic, right? Add a 么么哒 to send extra love and affection!

Happy 520 love day!

Have a nice and lovely day full of 520 and love! Don’t forget to share your love as much as you can: today and every day using 520, the Chinese love word is purrfect for today!

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post 520: A Chinese Love Word and Number to Know appeared first on Ninchanese.

You already know everything about how to say “yes” in Mandarin, but perhaps you’re tired of saying yes to everything?! Sometimes you just need a “OK” to let the others know you got it. Let’s help you diversify your vocabulary then with 5 ways to say okay in Mandarin Chinese. OK? Ok!

Say OK to accept a proposition

Need to answer someone’s question or show you want to accept their proposition? These three words are all good candidates to use:

好 hǎo fine 行 xíng OK 可以 kěyǐ it’s okay

These three words all show you’re okay with the idea or proposition so you can pick your favorite one to answer. For example when someone asks you :

周末去看电影吗? Zhōumò qù kàn diànyǐng ma? Should we watch a movie this weekend?

可以啊 kěyǐ a Ok, sounds great!

You can answer: 可以，好 or 行 if you want to watch a movie with them this weekend.

Say ok with 对 and 没错 – Right!

Let me introduce you two other Chinese expressions to say OK: 对 duì yes; right and 没错 méicuò right. Both can be used to show you agree with that they just. 对 means “correct” in Chinese, and 没错 means “not wrong”, so they are both often used to show your approval of what someone is saying, just like you would in English by saying “Right”.

没错 can be used, for instance to say

你说的没错! Nǐ shuō de méi cuò You’re right / You can say that again.

Say Ok with 我同意 – I agree

我同意! ”wǒ I agree

An easy way to say ok you can use all the time when you agree with something is 我同意. If you’re having a conversation with someone and totally agree with what they just said well this is a perfect way to give them feedback.
For example:
我同意你的看法 wǒ tóng yì nǐ de kànfǎ I agree with your opinion.

Say Ok with 没问题 – No problem / Don’t mention it

没问题! méi wèn tí no problem

Another very Chinese way to say OK is 没问题! It may sound informal, but for Chinese people, it’s not and they use it all the time. When using 没问题, you show you want to put one at ease, to reassure them that everything is okay. 没问题 is a word you can use in many situations when you need someone to feel okay.
For example, if you really need to leave and feel uncomfortable about going at that time, you might want to say, to seek reassurance:

现在可以走了吗? Xiànzài kěyǐ zǒule ma? Can I leave right now?

没问题! méi wèn tí no problem

Don’t you feel reassured upon hearing them say that?
Just for you to know: 没 is for “no” and 问题 is for “problem”.

#5 How to say Ok with 我知道了 – Got it

我知道了 wǒ zhī dào le I got it

You surely know about this one, I mean, it’s one of the first phrases you learn in Mandarin, right?

Wait. You don’t know this sentence? Then check out our last article about useful Chinese phrases to know more about 我知道了.

Ok, imagine, you’re in a meeting and your boss tells you that he wants you to introduce the company in front of everyone. This is your time to shine and you’re so excited. Calm yourself first and answer:

我知道了 wǒ zhī dào le I got it

Another example? Say, if you’ve been studying Chinese really hard and thought you did well on Master Yocha’s test. But then, Master Yocha tells you there are mistakes in the last test you’ve made. You may feel upset, but keep in mind that mistakes are a great way to learn. So, calm down, breathe in and say:

我知道了, 下次注意 Wǒ zhīdàole, xià cì zhùyì Got it, I’ll be more careful next time.

Master Yocha is good-hearted, he knows you’re doing your best!

#6 A non-word to say OK: 嗯

Looking for a not too wordy way to say OK? Use 嗯 èn OK / hmm!

It’s more a sound than a word but you can use it to show your approval of something that was said. Kind of like the “hmm” of agreement in English you might use when you’re okay with something. Just make sure you watch your pronunciation. If you write it or say it with a second tone like so “én”, it means “what?”. Not quite the same meaning, huh?!

#7 Bonus word to say OK: OK了

Update:  A Reddit User aptly pointed out we forgot this essential and extremely easy way to say OK: OK了

Ok了 is, as you see, simply the word okay coupled with 了. 了 as you probably know is a particle that is either used after a verb to indicate the completion of an action; or at the end of a sentence to indicate a change in situation or state, or, and its most likely the case here, as a modal particle to intensify the preceding phrase.

You use it to show your agreement to a suggestion that’s been made; such a positive answer to a suggestion to go out for a coffee or a shopping session, like so:

我们下午去看电影吧？Ok了 wǒmen xiàwǔ qù kàn diànyǐng ba? Ok le Let's go see a movie this afternoon? Ok

You can also use it to show you’ve finished doing something or accomplished something you had set out to do. For instance,

你做完作业了吗？Ok了 nǐ zuò wán zuòyèle ma? Okle Did you finish your homework? Yup.

Easy peasy, right?

Final words

There are many words to say OK in Chinese. The 5 we just shared (and the bonus grunt!) we just gave you are among the most used in Chinese. Learn these so you can be more fluent and pretend to be Chinese hehe~. OK了？！

Your Nincha Mission: Use these 5 ways to say OK to the Chinese speakers around you! Tell us how it went and if they were surprised to hear you use them!

Pauline, Yanjie and

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

Sign up now

The post How to Say OK Like a Real Chinese appeared first on Ninchanese.