Are You Too South? Deciphering China's Top Internet Slang 2019
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Have you noticed a sudden influx of memes reading 我好南 wǒ hǎo nán (lit. "I'm very south") or 我太南了wǒ tài nánle ("I'm too south"), in your WeChat groups of late? If you've seen them, but have no idea what's going on, you're not alone.
Internet language and popular culture terms evolve and change faster than you can say "What's a Douyin (抖音 dǒuyīn)?" and while writing a list like this threatens to put us in the unhip-fuddy-duddy camp, analyzing slang phrases can also be a great lesson in culture, history, wordplay, and how modern Mandarin works.
We've compiled some of the choicest terms that have been taking the Chinese Internet by storm in 2019 so that even if you can't convincingly use these terms (you old dork) at least you understand what the hell is going on. And yes, we'll get to "I'm so south."
"Go for it!"
盘 pán specifically describes the process in which beads or walnuts are polished and brightened by constantly playing with them. The expression 盘它 pán tā was first used by comedian Meng Hetang (pictured above) in a crosstalk show earlier this year, beaming the phrase directly into households around the country, where it was happily absorbed into the lexicon. Depending on the context, netizens use the phrase to express support, affection, or distaste towards something, which can be loosely translated as "go for it" or "screw it."
Example sentence:
今晚国足对战泰国队，盘它！
Jīn wǎn guózú duìzhàn tàiguó duì, pán tā!
The national football team is playing against Thailand tonight. Go for it!
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A relative of the humble goldfish, koi carp are considered a lucky charm in China. So when Alipay ran a lottery in which the grand prize winner was dubbed 中国锦鲤 (zhōngguó jǐn lǐ, Chinese Koi), over three million people reposted the image of koi carp on their social media in the hope of swimming into good fortune.
Example sentence:
转发这条锦鲤，就会有好事发生。
Zhuǎnfā zhè tiáo jǐn lǐ, jiù huì yǒu hǎoshì fāshēng.
Repost this picture of koi carp, and good things will happen to you.
Listen up, we have an official announcement
Late last year Chinese actress Zhao Liying announced her marriage to actor Feng Shaofeng with this simple yet effective two-word expression (pictured above). Soon, almost everyone had something to say, making a variety of official announcements on social media ranging from exaltations about a new relationship to any other "breaking" news that they could think of.
Example sentence:
官宣：我升职了。
Guān xuān: Wǒ shēng zhíle.
Official announcement: I got promoted.
Though it was Song dynasty poet Li Qingzhao who first scribed the line "Do you know, that the red flowers have gone and only green leaves remain?" (知否知否，应是绿肥红瘦？Zhī fǒu zhī fǒu, yīng shì lǜféi hóng shòu?), the phrase more recently made a comeback thanks to its use as the name of popular TV series. It then got another boost when Feng Shaofeng, the lead actor of the aforementioned show, announced his wife's pregnancy using the expression on Weibo earlier this year (if you couldn't tell, this power couple has significant sway on the Chinese public).
Example sentence:
君知否？雁字云沉,难写伤心句。
Jūn zhī fǒu? yàn zì yún chén, nán xiě shāngxīn jù.
Do you know? Either the flying wild goose or the lowering clouds draw a picture that resonates my inner sorrows
杠精 refers to someone who likes to disagree, antagonize, or argue with others for the sake of being difficult i.e. a contrarian.
Example sentence:
不管别人说什么，他都要反驳，活脱脱一个杠精！
Bùguǎn biérén shuō shénme, tā dōu yào fǎnbó, huótuō tuō yīgè gāng jīng!
No matter what others say, he’s ready to argue. What a contrarian!
"It's too nan!"
Popular TikTok user Brother Giao (Giao 哥 gē) always signs off his videos by saying "My life is so hard" (我太难了 wǒ tài nánle). The phrase soon took off but netizens put a twist on the original, using the homophone 南 "south" to replace the original character so as to give it an extra dose of humor.
Example sentence:
我每天又要上班又要带娃，我太难了。
Wǒ měitiān yòu yào shàngbān yòu yào dài wá, wǒ tài nánle.
I have to work and take care of the kid. My life is too difficult.
This is a homophone and politer version of 傻屌 shǎ diǎo (stupid bird) to refer to someone perceived to be stupid or enjoys doing dumb things to make people laugh. It can also describe things that make you laugh.
Example sentence:
这张沙雕图逗死我了！
Zhè zhāng shādiāo tú dòu sǐ wǒle!
This picture is too funny – it's killing me!
This phrase refers to candid photos of celebrities, usually taken by fans, that have not been touched-up in Photoshop.
Example sentence:
她长得不错啊，连生图都那么好看。
Tā zhǎng dé bùcuò a, lián shēng tú dōu nàme hǎokàn.
She is so beautiful, even her raw pictures look good.
***
The following terms predate 2019, but we couldn't resist including them on this list, as they remain just as popular now...
"Are you a master actor?!"
Originally used to refer to only the best actors or actresses, 戏精 now can be used both negatively (to refer people who are fake, pretentious, or like to exaggerate) and positively (to refer people who are funny and have a great imagination).
Example sentence:
他特别能装，是个典型的戏精。
Tā tèbié néng zhuāng, shìgè diǎnxíng de xì jīng.
He is such a drama queen – so good at faking.
This phrase is used to describe a 'zen' attitude, allowing those who have it to maintain a calm and mellow outlook similar to that of a monk.
Example sentence:
现在的佛系青年越来越多了。
Xiànzài de fó xì qīngnián yuè lái yuè duōle.
There are more young people nowadays choosing to follow their own values rather than the general trend.
This transliteration of "idol" (爱豆 ài dòu) was first used in South Korea to refer to admired public figures and also became popular among Chinese netizens.
Example sentence:
为了不掉粉，有些爱豆在微博跟粉丝频繁互动。
Wèi liǎo bù diào fěn, yǒuxiē ài dòu zài wēi bó gēn fěnsī pínfán hùdòng.
In order to maintain a stable number of followers. some celebrities actively interact with their fans on Weibo.
***
Meanwhile, certain old expressions also recently became popular among netizens, but with slightly different meanings to the original.
This phrase is used to mock those who appear to or want to give the impression of having a good life but in fact don’t have any savings.
Example sentence:
你别看很多白领一族看上去光鲜亮丽，其实入不敷出，是隐形贫困人口。
Nǐ bié kàn hěnduō báilǐng yīzú kàn shàngqù guāngxiān liang lì, qíshí rùbùfūchū, shì yǐnxíng pínkùn rénkǒu.
Many white-collar workers appear to have a great fortune to spare, but they are actually struggling to make ends meet. They're really part of the "invisible poverty-stricken group."
This is actually an old expression, and comes from 神仙打架，凡人遭殃 shénxiān dǎjià, fánrén zāoyāng, meaning, "When the gods fought, the mortals suffered." Now netizens use it to describe a situation where a group of top-level things or people are competing with each other.
Example sentence:
晚上8点很多好剧同时播出，是个神仙打架的时间段。
Wǎnshàng 8 diǎn hěnduō hǎo jù tóngshí bō chū, shìgè shénxiān dǎjià de shíjiān duàn.
There are so many good TV shows on the air around 8pm, which is creating increased competition for ratings among them.
Originating from a Japanese expression, this phrase means your physical reaction betrayed your real thoughts.
Example sentence:
Friend A:
这个聚会去的都是富二代，我一点都不想凑这个热闹。
Zhège jùhuì qù de dōu shì fù èr dài, wǒ yīdiǎn dōu bùxiǎng còu zhège rènào.
The party will be full of nouveau rich. I don't fancy going at all.
Friend B:
—口嫌体直
Kǒu xián tǐ zhí.
Your body language says otherwise.
READ: Discover the Classical Novels of Chinese Literature... in Cartoon Form
Photos: AbsolutVision (via unsplash.com), Tencent, Weibo, Baidu, baijiahao.baidu.com, sports.eastday.com, duitang.com, douban.com, admin5.com, sohu.com, dy.163.com, game.zol.com.cn
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