Chinese characters can be tricky enough, but have you ever been texting a Chinese friend when they suddenly drop a cryptic letter combo like “yyds”, “srds”, or “nb”? If Chinese internet slang (网络用语) has left you feeling confused or out of the loop, you’re not alone! Chinese netizens are incredibly creative with language, constantly finding new ways to combine Mandarin characters, pinyin, English loanwords, and even numbers to express themselves with more nuance and efficiency.
If you as a Mandarin learner are trying to sound more native in your online conversations, mastering some of these phrases is a must. This guide will help you get started by breaking down ten of the most useful Chinese internet slang and how to use them!
Ten Must-know Chinese Internet Slang Meanings Explained
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “yyds” explained
yyds → 永远的神 (yǒng yuǎn de shén ) → Greatest Of All Time
The Chinese internet slang ‘yyds’ is a popular expression of praise, equivalent to the English slang “GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time). It stands for “永远的神” (yǒng yuǎn de shén) meaning literally “the eternal god”. Both people and things can be “YYDS”: your friend, a celebrity, some really good dumplings…
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “srds” explained
srds → 虽然但是 (suī rán dàn shì) → In spite of that
The Chinese internet slang ‘srds’ is used before a statement which contrast with your previous one, similar to how you would use ‘nevertheless’ or ‘in spite of that’ in English. It stands for “虽然⋯⋯ 但是⋯⋯ (suīrán… dànshì…)” – a set Mandarin sentence structure for expressing the meaning of ‘even though’. (Unlike in English, you still need to follow up ‘even though’ (虽然) in Mandarin with a ‘but’ (但是) in the second clause of the sentence).
So, for example, the sentence “Even though learning Mandarin is really hard, I will persist” written out fully would be: “虽然学习中文很难，但是我会坚持下去”. But in a more casual online setting, you can use the internet slang ‘srds’ and just say: “学习中文很难。Srds，我会坚持下去。” (You will! We believe in you).
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “zqsg” explained
zqsg → 真情实感 (zhēn qíng shí gǎn) → True feelings and genuine emotions
The Chinese internet slang ‘zqsg’ stands for 真情实感 (zhēn qíng shí gǎn), meaning ‘true feelings and genuine emotions’. It is most commonly used in fandom communities to express deep emotional investment towards a celebrity or fictional character.
For example: “你别嘲笑我，我是zqsg在追这个CP啊!”, which means something like: “Don’t mock me! I am truly and genuinely emotionally invested in shipping this (fictional) couple!”. However, it can also be used as an adjective to describe that something (e.g., a movie, TV-show, song) is very touching, or to emphasize sincerity more generally.
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “xswl” explained
xswl → 笑死我了(xiào sǐ wǒ le) → Laughing to death
The Chinese internet slang ‘xswl’ is used to express that something is very funny, similar to “LOL” or “LMAO” in English. It stands for “笑死我了” (xiào sǐ wǒ le) meaning literally “laughing myself to death”.
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “hhh” explained
hhh → 哈哈哈 → Hahaha
The Chinese internet slang “hhh” stands for “哈哈哈”, the sound of laughter. If something is funny but not quite ‘xswl’-level funny, you can use this instead. But also feel free to adjust the intensity of your laughter by adding on any number of H’s: maybe “hhhhh” for a pretty funny joke, or “hhhhhhhhhhh” for when you are literally in tears.
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “yysy/u1s1” explained
yysy/u1s1 → 有一说一 (yǒu yī shuō yī) → Honestly, To be honest
The Chinese internet slang ‘yysy’, also written as ‘u1s1’, is used to emphasise honesty, similar to “To be honest/frank…” or “Honestly” in English. It stands for 有一说一(yǒu yī shuō yī), meaning literally ‘Have one, say one’ – which you can think of as a more colloquial version of the common expression “说实话” (shuō shíhuà) for “To speak truth”.
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “aswl” explained
awsl → 啊我死了(ā wǒ sǐ le) → Aww, I’m dying (from cuteness or emotion)
The Chinese internet slang ‘aswl’ stands for “啊我死了” (ā wǒ sǐ le) , literally “Ah, I’m dying”, and is normally used to express excitement when something is extremely cute, like a kitten or baby.
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “绝绝子 (jué jué zǐ)” explained
绝绝子 (jué jué zǐ) is another popular Chinese internet slang for expressing that someone or something is really cool, impressive, or awesome. In many contexts where you would use 牛逼/牛b/nb, “绝绝子” also works as a more PG-version, but their meanings differ slightly. “绝” means absolute, so to say something or someone is “绝绝子” is more like saying it or they are “unbeatable” or “perfection” – while 牛逼/牛b/nb expresses admiration more in the “so badass!”-sense.
Meaning of the Chinese internet slang “6” explained
In Chinese internet slang, the number “6” is used to praise something or someone for being “awesome” or “skilled”. This is because in Mandarin, the number 6, 六 (liù), is a homophone for “溜” (liù), which means “smooth” or “proficient”. You might also see three 6s written together as ‘666’ – this started as gaming slang to praise a skilled player, like “GG” in English, but is now used more widely too as a more enthusiastic version of just “6”.
And while ‘6’ is perhaps the most well-known, there are actually many more Chinese internet slang that come in the form of numbers, like 520, 555, and 233. We have written all about them in our previous article 10 Must-know Chinese Number Slang!
Ten Must-know Chinese Number Slang Summary
| Slang | Chinese Pronunciation | English Meaning |
| yyds | 永远的神 (yǒng yuǎn de shén) | Greatest Of All Time |
| srds | 虽然但是 (suī rán dàn shì) | Nevertheless, In spite of that |
| zqsg | 真情实感 (zhēn qíng shí gǎn) | True feelings, genuine emotions |
| xswl | 笑死我了(xiào sǐ wǒ le) | Laughing to death, LOL |
| hhh | 哈哈哈 (hāhāhā) | Hahaha |
| yysy/u1s1 | 有一说一 (yǒu yī shuō yī) | Honestly, To be honest |
| aswl | 啊我死了(ā wǒ sǐ le) | Aww, I’m dying (from cuteness) |
| 牛逼/牛b/ nb | niú bī | Awesome, Badass, Impressive |
| 绝绝子 | jué jué zǐ | Awesome, Unbeatable, Perfection |
| 6 | 六 (liù) | Awesome, Skilled |
What is the Most Effective Way to Learn Chinese Internet Slang?
The best way to learn Chinese internet slang is, like with any Chinese vocab, by using them! While abbreviations may be easier to memorize than characters, it may take some time to get a feel for the exact feeling they convey, or when they are appropriate. And with online language constantly evolving, internet slang go in and out of fashion all the time. By directly engaging in online conversations with Chinese people, you can observe what slang native speakers use and how – and also have them correct you if you use something wrong or outdated. In this article, we have written about how you can use the Chinese social media app RedNote to make Chinese friends, along with some other tips for leveraging the platform as a Mandarin learning tool!
Why Should I Learn Chinese Internet Slang as a Mandarin Learner?
Chinese people are some of the most active social media users in the world, so learning their internet slang is a must if you are looking to fully immerse yourself in contemporary Chinese culture. Moreover, the best way to improve your Chinese conversation skills is through engaging in real conversations with real native speakers – but unless you are lucky enough to live in China, these conversations will likely be happening online. If you master some playful Chinese internet slang, these chats will feel a lot more natural and engaging both you and your conversation partner! Just remember that Chinese internet slang, like in most other languages, are very casual and probably not appropriate for formal contexts or with people you don’t know well.
Ready now to put this new Chinese internet slang vocab into practice but overwhelmed by the Chinese social media landscape? Read our article ‘The Ultimate Chinese Social Media Vocabulary Guide’ for an overview of the most popular Chinese social media platforms, and all the must-know vocabulary for navigating them.
FAQ
What is the meaning of the Chinese internet slang xswl?
The Chinese internet slang ‘xswl’ is used to express that something is very funny, similar to “LOL” or “LMAO” in English. It stands for “笑死我了” (xiào sǐ wǒ le) meaning literally “laughing myself to death”.
What is the meaning of the Chinese internet slang yyds?
The Chinese internet slang ‘yyds’ is a popular expression of praise, equivalent to the English slang “GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time). It stands for “永远的神” (yǒng yuǎn de shén) meaning literally “the eternal god”.
What is the meaning of the Chinese internet slang srds?
The Chinese internet slang ‘srds’ is used before a statement which contrast with your previous one, similarly to how you would use ‘nevertheless’ or ‘in spite of that’ in English. It stands for “虽然⋯⋯ 但是⋯⋯ (suīrán… dànshì…)”, meaning “Even though… But….”, which is a typical pairing of adversative connectives in Mandarin Chinese.
What is the meaning of the Chinese internet slang zqsg?
The Chinese internet slang ‘zqsg’ stands for 真情实感 (zhēn qíng shí gǎn), meaning ‘true feelings and genuine emotions’. It is most commonly used in fandom communities to express deep emotional investment towards a celebrity or fictional character.
Author Bio:
Vivianne Zhang Wei is a Swedish-born Chinese social sciences graduate of University College London. Particularly interested in the ethnographic study of rural China, agriculture, and biopolitics, she has spent the past year travelling around and writing about farms in the Chinese countryside. Previously, she has also organised and taught non-profit English language summer camps for young students in rural China, won national awards in student journalism, and worked in the media and communications industry.
