SOME COMMON SLANGS USED IN CHINA. “If you talk to a man in a language he…

Slangs are words and phrases that are informal. The meaning of a particular slang may not be understood by all people. The Writing explained says slangs allow for creativity in language. of course, slangs fade away. Yet, it is a valid means of communication. Slang words mirror the current situation in a country or culture and are a response to the influence of social media. Take for instance, in Nigeria, there are certain slangs such as Opg(O por gan) which means it is plenty. If a friend posts a fine picture on Instagram, it is quite normal for friends to be in the comment section shouting Opg!!! E plenty!! (Welcome to Nigeria).

The Generation Z that lurks through the internet has come up with so many slangs. Knowing slangs is like being a cool kid and getting acknowledged by your peers (hehehehe).

With the use of Chinese social media apps such as bilibili, Wechat, and Kuaishou, you might come across various slangs that are greatly influenced by social culture and celebrities, video games, pop culture, and predominantly, the internet. It can be really hard to keep up.

Going by the fact there are many Chinese slangs right now, the popular ones have been selected:

Slangs associated with numbers

In China, the application of homonyms is inevitable in the formation of slangs. The numbers sound almost the same as to various words and therefore, constitute slangs for them. Shall we take a look?

520

This number in pinyin is Wǔ’èr líng, 五二零 which when pronounced sounds as Wǒ ài nǐ 我爱你, which is “I love you” in Chinese. This might be the most common slang in China. It is mostly seen on the 5th of May which happens to be one of the six Chinese Valentine’s Day.

666

This definitely has nothing to do with the devil. Literally, this is liùliùliù 六六六. It means you are amazing! Excellent!

88

The pinyin of this number is bābā 八八. It can be used to replace the Chinese word Bàibài 拜拜 which means bye-bye. When ending a conversation with a Chinese friend, be sure to use 88 (wink wink).

748

The pinyin of this is qīsìbā 七四八to connote the word qùsǐba 去死吧, which means go die, get lost or go to hell.

Slangs associated with letters

There are not much slangs associated with words as there are with numbers. For that reason, I picked the two most commonly used phrases.

1. AWSL

This signifies “aww!” commonly used when something is extremely cute.

2. Tā mā dē

This expression is written in mandarin as 他妈的 is the English expression for fuck you. This must be used only amongst friends to display extreme anger.

I once used this on a Chinese acquaintance, we were not so close then. He replied saying “you are so rude!” we do not want that now, do we?

Why learn Chinese slangs? Do you ask?

These slangs or phrases help aid communication with the locals. A famous saying of Nelson Mandela goes “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”. Need I say more?

Moreso, the use of these slangs keeps you up to date with that Chinese friend you have and so would not be left out of conversations or have that awkward moment.

If you are learning Mandarin as a second language, you are at an advantage. Nothing beats more than a Chinese friend complimenting how advanced you speak and relate well with him or her.

These would surely make you sound like a native! You can thank me later. Make sure to practice with your friends to attain the Chinese Godzilla slang level in no time.

Heads-up: Do not use these slangs in formal situations or with the elderly so as not to come off rude.

Comment with slangs you connect with, do you feel something was left out? Let us know in the comments section. Feel free to post your favourite Chinese slang words in the comments below.

Trying using these words with your Chinese friends and see what reactions you get!