Internet Slang
翻车
fān chē
In English
to crash and burn / it backfired
Illustration
coming soon
Classic · Mainstream, still used dailyliterally: the car flips over
What does 翻车 mean?
To mess up badly or fail in public — a plan, a livestream, or a confident claim that blows up in your face.
Hear it explained
Short audio explainer coming soon.
Example
主播现场翻车，尴尬到不行。
Zhǔbō xiànchǎng fān chē, gāngà dào bùxíng.
The streamer crashed and burned live — beyond awkward.
What 翻车 goes with
现场翻车xiànchǎng fānchēflopped live
翻大车fān dà chēan epic, public fail
Where 翻车 comes from
A literal "car overturning", used for a sudden, embarrassing failure — especially influencers flubbing on camera.