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A BRIEF GUIDE TO CHINESE INTERNET SLANG by Dominique Wong
NUMBERS Online streaming and ACG (Anime, Comic and Games) subculture
233…
(verb) … means laughing, LOL or :D and has a more esoteric origins than other numeric slang. It refers to emoticon no. 233 from the online forum mop.com (a Chinese website popular with gamers). Emoticon no. 233 is a pixelated orange animal laughing so hard it bounces and slams its fist on the ground. Now, 233 has evolved to express not only laughter but also hatred, impatience and dislike, which should be clear according to the context in which it’s used. Users can add extra 3333 for emphasis. E.g. 233, I’ve gotten into a relationship; I got an A on my exam, 233.
ACRONYMS
Like numeric slang, capital letter acronyms reduce the number of keystrokes required to write a word.
Everyday use
GG/JJ
As China enthusiasts and linguists discuss the future of Chinese characters, the country's youth are already well ahead, coming up with their own rich dictionary of online slang. It’s not only a means to simplify and update the Chinese language, but also a natural and fun way to respond to current events on social media. There are numbers, acronyms, contractions, stickers and more… A lot, basically. We picked out a few (old and new) to help you become a NB, 3Q88.
(noun)
ZF
… GG stands for gege （哥哥) which means
older brother;
(n.) … stands for zhèngfǔ (政府): the government.
(PiàoPiàoMěiMéi): 漂漂美眉 (n.)
while the female … while MM (MěiMéi) means equivalent is JJ (jie- pretty girl, the addition of PP jie, 姐姐) for older (PiàoPiào: really pretty) in front sister. turns the description into the equivalent of a Sean Kingston song (‘beautiful girl’).
3Q88
sān Q bā bā 三Q八八 (expr.) … it contains both numbers and capital letters (next level shit right here), but 3Q88 is actually just another phonetic phrase, meaning ‘thank you, bye bye.’
6666... 520
liù liù liù 六六六... (expression) … is often used by gamers and commenters on live streaming platforms. According to legend (er, Baidu) it originates from Chinese League of Legends gamers who first used the number 6 to show respect, kind of like a ‘well-played.’ It sounds like liū (溜) which means to be adept.
Phonetically speaking
88
bā bā 八八 (expr.) … pretty self-explanatory. If you don’t get it, we’re done here, ‘Bye
bye!’ (bāibāi 拜拜)
wǔ èr líng 五二零(expr.) … sounds like ‘I love you’ (in Chinese; 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ), it’s so basic it even spawned its own make-shift holiday (for Taobao and Tmall purposes anyway). Ah, May 20 (520), the quasi-Valentine’s day for Chinese lovers – because Feb 14 just isn’t enough. qīsìbā 七四八(expr.)
748
… sounds like qùsǐba (去死吧) which literally translates to ‘go die.’ Any creative interpretation of this is acceptable (e.g. ‘Go to hell!’ ‘Drop dead!’).
555…
wǔwǔwǔ 五五五 (v.) … sounds like 呜呜呜 (wūwūwū) , which is the onomatopoeic sound of crying or whimpering.