Chinese Slang Dictionary
Curated and explained by the Fluentide team. Updated June 2026.
38 modern Chinese slang terms — the internet, Gen-Z, work, and dating words you'll never find in a textbook. Each one explained in plain English with pinyin, what it really means, an example sentence, and where it came from.
What is Chinese slang?
Chinese slang — 网络流行语 (wǎngluò liúxíngyǔ) — is the living layer of the language that textbooks can't keep up with. It's how real people talk online and with friends: pinyin acronyms like yyds (永远的神, “the GOAT”), number codes like 666 (“nicely done”), homophone puns, and ordinary words bent to new meanings like 内卷 (the rat race) and 躺平 (lying flat). Knowing it is the difference between understanding a Chinese textbook and understanding a Chinese group chat. Browse by category below, or search for a specific word.
38 terms · page 1 of 5
xié xiū
An unorthodox, rule-breaking shortcut that somehow works — the 'wrong' method that gets the result anyway. Opposite of the by-the-book way.
nèi juǎn
Pointless, exhausting competition where everyone works harder and harder just to stay in the same place — the rat race with no payoff.
社交恐惧 shè kǒng
Social anxiety — dreading small talk, parties, or phone calls. Used loosely and half-jokingly. Its opposite is 社牛, a social butterfly.
lǜ chá
Someone who acts sweet and innocent while quietly being calculating and manipulative. From 绿茶婊, 'green tea (bitch)'.
tiǎn gǒu
Someone who debases themselves for a crush who doesn't reciprocate — endlessly attentive, endlessly ignored. A simp.
pò fáng
To have your emotional guard shattered — something hits so hard you tear up or lose composure. Can be sad or deeply moved.
fán ěr sài
Humblebragging — showing off wealth or success while pretending to complain. The whole genre is 凡尔赛文学.
zhēn xiāng
The moment you eat your words: you swore you would never, then ended up loving it. The ultimate "I take it back".
The method in practice
Hear how real Chinese actually sounds
Slang is just the surface of how people really talk. Fluentide's free podcast episodes give you natural, spoken Chinese at your level — with full transcripts, pinyin, and translations — so the casual, real-world language starts to feel familiar.