Tag: chinese buzzwords

Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 OMG! Chinese Buzzwords! (23)

盲游(máng yóu)
blind tour
This refers to travelers who deliberately refrain from researching their holiday destinations before setting out. The group simply enjoys wandering “blindly,” embracing the freedom of life and seeking unknown challenges on the way.

冷妈(lěng mā)
cool mother
Different from traditional Chinese parents who tend to spoil their children, “cool mothers” have emerged as a new model of family education. They act calmly toward their children’s failure or heartbreaks, and teach their children how to face the truths and sometimes cruelty of real life.  

里程焦虑(lǐ chéng jiāo lǜ)
range anxiety
The fear that your all-electric vehicle might run out of power before reaching your destination, is thought to be one reason that deters prospective electric vehicle buyers.

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Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 OMG! Chinese Buzzwords! (25)

速食婚姻(sù shí hūn yīn)
instant marriage
The term refers to a very quick marriage between two people who only started their relationship a short time ago. This term comes from instant noodles, which are fast to make to satisfy one’s hunger but don’t contain much nutrition.

向日葵族(xiàng rì kuí zú)
sunflower clan
The term is used to refer to people who, just like a sunflower, always look on the bright side of life and are resilient to pressure as they easily forget about unhappiness. They are different to the “strawberry clan,” people who don’t handle pressure or setbacks well even though they look good.

男人月经期(nán rén yuè jīng qī)
manstruation
It is said that men experience psychological menstruation, which can be seen by a periodic bad temper, low mood and lack of interest in romance and sex.

微博保姆(wēi bó bǎo mǔ)
microblog operations administrator  
It is a nickname for someone who maintains a company’s microblog. The person tries to create topics to attract more followers while also explaining negative comments about the firm. The Chinese term literally translates as microblog housemaid.

笃定(dǔ  dìng)

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Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 OMG! Chinese Buzzwords! (31)

恐归族 （kǒng guī zú）
home-going phobia clan
The term refers to people who plan to return home for the annual family reunio during the Spring Festival but are put off by the high travel costs and crowded transportation. Most of these people are migrant workers, who have to stay in the area wher they work to spend the festival holidays as train tickets are sold out and they can’t afford planes.

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Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 OMG! Chinese Buzzwords! (32)

炒冷饭(chǎo lěng fàn)
Rehash, repeat old content, flogging a dead horse

Shanghai locals are mostly rice eaters. So, if there’s any leftover cooked rice, they tend to 炒冷饭, meaning to “stir-fry the cold rice,” usually by adding a spoon of edible oil, a pinch of minced green onion or even an egg. As a result, 炒冷饭 is a common meal among many Shanghainese.

But when the phrase is used figuratively, it means to rehash old materials, repeat old content or reproduce an old idea. It’s like flogging a dead horse or putting old wine in a new bottle in English.

So, this colloquial term has a connotation of cliché, banality, bromide and lack of excitement.
Despite the fact that many Shanghainese do eat 炒冷饭 from time to time, few like it in speeches and writing. Locals also tend to use a vulgar alternative to express their dislike of this type of 炒冷饭: “Why do you always eat today’s fresh rice, but fart yesterday’s gas?”

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