What is the most common Chinese internet slang?

A few you will see constantly: yyds (永远的神, "the GOAT"), 666 ("nicely done"), xswl (笑死我了, "dying laughing"), awsl (啊我死了, "so cute I can't"), and repurposed words like 内卷 (the rat race) and 躺平 (lying flat). Each has its own entry below.

Why is so much Chinese internet slang typed in pinyin or numbers?

Speed and in-group feel. Typing the pinyin initials of a phrase (yyds = 永远的神) or a number that sounds like a word (666, because 六 liù ≈ 溜 "smooth") is quicker than entering full characters, and it signals you are part of the online culture. These forms started in gaming chat and livestream comments.

Is Chinese internet slang OK for learners to use?

Yes, in casual chats and online. It shows you follow how Chinese is actually spoken today, which native speakers appreciate. Keep it out of formal writing, interviews, and messages to teachers or elders — the same rule as English slang.

Chinese Slang

Chinese Internet Slang

Chinese internet slang (网络流行语, wǎngluò liúxíngyǔ) is the fastest-moving layer of the language — born on Weibo, Bilibili, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, and spread through livestream chat and group messages. It rarely shows up in textbooks, but it is everywhere in how people actually talk online.

Haoshan Hong

Founder of Fluentide · Native Mandarin speaker · Incoming Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University

Updated June 2026

What is Chinese Internet Slang?