Updated July 2026
What does 搭子 mean?
搭子 (dā zi) means an activity buddy / a [meal/gym] partner in everyday Chinese slang. An activity buddy for one specific thing — a 饭搭子 (meal buddy), 咖啡搭子 (coffee buddy), 旅游搭子 (travel buddy). Lighter than a close friend. Literally, it means "pair-up partner".
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A 30-second take on 搭子 — what it means, where it came from, and how to use it.
Too much commitment for a best friend, but you still want company? Enter the 搭子, dā zi — an activity buddy for one specific thing. A 饭搭子 eats lunch with you, a 旅游搭子 travels with you. 找个饭搭子一起吃午饭. Low effort, high reward.
Example
找个饭搭子一起吃午饭。
Zhǎo ge fàn dāzi yìqǐ chī wǔfàn.
Looking for a lunch buddy to eat with.
What 搭子 goes with
Where 搭子 comes from
Surged 2023-2024 as young people sought lightweight, single-purpose companionship — someone to share one activity without the weight of a full friendship.
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