Texting Slang (The "Code")
Welcome to the Night Market, where people type fast and filters are loose. In real life, nobody types out full sentences if they don't have to.
Mandarin internet slang often uses numbers (that sound like words) or Pinyin acronyms (to type faster or bypass censors).
The Numbers Game 🔢
| Code | Pronunciation | Sounds Like... | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 666 | Liù liù liù | Liū (Smooth/Slick) | "Awesome!" / "Pro!" Common in gaming when someone makes a great play. |
| 886 | Bā bā liù | Bái bái lo (Bye Bye!) | "Bye bye!" The classic way to end a chat. |
| 520 | Wǔ èr líng | Wǒ ài nǐ (I love you) | "I love you." (May 20th is basically Valentine's Day in China because of this). |
| 995 | Jiǔ jiǔ wǔ | Jiù jiù wǒ (Save me) | "Help me!" Used jokingly when you're in trouble (or stuck in a boring meeting). |
The Acronyms (Pinyin Slang) 🔡
Users often type just the first letter of each pinyin word to save time.
| Acronym | Hanzi / Pinyin | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| hhhh | 哈哈 (Hā hā) | "Hahaha" | Standard laughter. The more 'h's, the funnier it is. |
| xswl | 笑死我了 (Xiào sǐ wǒ le) | "LMAO" | Literally: "Laughing me to death." Used when something is hilarious. |
| yyds | 永远的神 (Yǒng yuǎn de shén) | "GOAT" | Literally: "Eternal God." Used to praise your idol, favorite food, or game character. |
⚠️ The "Salty" Section (Profanity) 🤬
Handle With Care
These terms are vulgar. You will see them everywhere on the internet (Weibo, gaming chats), but do not use them in the Teahouse or with your boss!
| Acronym | Hanzi | Meaning | The Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| NB | 牛逼 (Niú Bī) | "Badass" / "Sick" | Literally refers to a cow's anatomy 🐮. Used to describe something insanely cool or impressive. |
| SB | 傻逼 (Shǎ Bī) | "Idiot" / "Dumbass" | Very offensive. If someone calls you this in a game, they are insulting your intelligence. |
| TMD | 他妈的 (Tā Mā De) | "F*ck" / "Damn it" | The classic curse. Literally involves someone's mother. |
| WC | 卧槽 (Wò Cáo) | "WTF" / "Holy Sh*t" | An expression of shock or amazement. Can be positive ("WC! You won!") or negative ("WC! I died!"). |