The Language of Now: China’s Best Internet Slang in 2023

In China, buzzwords on social media are more than just trendy phrases; they’re a snapshot of a society in flux, capturing everything from the daily grind to the joys and challenges of modern life. 

In 2023, this lexicon ranged from new takes on parenting and the growing popularity of MBTI tests to the way young Chinese travel and unwind. 

Here are Sixth Tone’s top internet buzzwords of 2023: 

显眼包

Class Clown

Literally meaning “eye-catching,” 显眼包 (xiǎn yǎn bāo) and its variations appear in a number of Chinese dialects. The term became widespread online after Guo Beibei — a phenomenally popular internet celebrity who later lost her account for violating short video platform Kuaishou’s rules on “vulgar” content — began using it to describe herself. Now, it’s become a byword for attention-seekers, goofballs, and anyone who is willing to get weird for a like.

为I做E

Being the Introverts’ Extrovert

Three introverts walk into a bar. One of them has to say something, right? The growing acceptance of personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator on Chinese social media has spawned numerous hashtags where introverts and extroverts swap awkward stories and nightmarish social scenarios. One of the most popular is “#Being the Introverts’ Extrovert,” in which introverts talk about the times they’ve been forced into social activity by the lack of a natural extrovert in their friend group.

小孩哥/姐

Little Big Kids

You’ve heard of “kidults” — grown-ups who can’t quite seem to grow up — but China’s latest buzzword is their polar opposite: preternaturally mature kids whose life skills, attitudes, and fearlessness are spooking their elders. Known respectfully as “little big brothers” or “little big sisters,” they’re whipping up full meals, out-arguing aunties, and putting even more unwanted pressure on the country’s millennials.

特种兵式旅游

Special Forces Tourism

Walk tens of thousands of steps a day, sleep at the train station instead of a hotel, and see as many sights as quickly as possible… Cash-strapped Chinese college students have embraced “special forces tourism” as they finally see the country after three years of pandemic restrictions. Usually setting off on Friday night or early Saturday morning, they’ll quickly run through the major attractions at their destination before rushing back to the classroom on Monday morning.

Gap Day

Taking gap years is a luxury that most Chinese cannot afford. However, in China where competition for everything from school places to jobs is high, many young people are finding the concept of consciously scheduling much-needed breaks increasingly appealing. So instead of gap years, young people are simply taking “gap days,” from a whole day to just a few hours, and making a deal of it – a reflection of how difficult it is to have down time. 

反向育儿

Reverse Parenting

While past generations of parents in China maintained a serious demeanor and relied on punishments as a form of discipline, the post-’90s generation is embracing a different approach: When their kids lay on the floor in an ice cream store, parents do the same. If the children throw away a toy, parents throw away others too. Some even go to extremes: putting their kids’ studies on hold to play video games for hours on end, just as their children desired. 

早F晚E

Fighting in the Morning, Emo in the Evening

Did you ever commit to a New Year’s resolution you could barely remember by February? Some young Chinese are going through that same wringer every day. Waking up dedicated to “fighting” for a better life, by bedtime they’re so exhausted they just want to lie down and listen to sad music. The phrase “fighting in the morning, emo in the evening” is derived from “早C晚A,” a popular skincare routine involving the application of vitamin C in the morning and vitamin A at night, and which is sometimes also used to mean “coffee in the morning, alcohol at night.”

脆皮大学生

Glass-Jawed Undergrads

You’ve scored top marks on China’s gaokao college entrance exam. But can you put your pants on without cramping? Getting into college in China has never been easy, and secondary school schedules leave little time for training the body. Literally meaning “crispy skin college students,” the #脆皮大学生 tag has become a playful hangout for the country’s less physically gifted college students — a place they can go to swap stories of pratfalls, poor immune systems, and embarrassing injuries. Turns out a sharp intellect is no match for a slippery floor.

白人饭

White People’s Food

Initially, the term was used just to mock the simplicity of hastily put together and pre-made meals commonly associated with white people. But with time, more and more Chinese netizens are sharing their experiences preparing these stereotypically “white people” meals, which have the benefits of saving them time and money, accompanied by ironic commentary about these meals being useful for “maintaining vital signs of the body.” 

电子呕吐物

Cyber Vomit

More and more people are turning to social media to share and navigate through their complex and challenging emotions. The resulting mess is known as “cyber vomit”: a stew of teary posts, harsh lessons, and extended essays about life’s ups and downs. And as with all binges, viewing your feed in the harsh light of day can leave you feeling embarrassed — and maybe even a bit hungover.

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