Chinese Internet Slang: 666, YYDS, and What Gen Z Actually Says
Decode Chinese internet culture. Learn what 666, 233, YYDS, 内卷, and 躺平 mean — the slang that Chinese Gen Z uses every day online.
6 sections
1666 — Not The Devil, It Means 'Awesome'
In Western culture, 666 is associated with the devil. In China, 666 is the highest compliment. (liù, six) sounds like (liū, smooth/skilled). So 666 means 'that was smooth/awesome'. In gaming, if someone makes a sick play, the chat fills with 666666. The cultural confusion when Chinese gamers play with Westerners is... entertaining.
2233 — Chinese LOL
On a Chinese forum called Mop, emoji #233 was a rolling-on-the-floor laughing face. So '233' became shorthand for laughing. More 3s = funnier. So '23333333' means you're DYING of laughter. It's the Chinese equivalent of 'LMAOOOOO'.
3YYDS — 永远的神 (God Forever)
YYDS stands for (yǒng yuǎn de shén), meaning 'eternal god' or 'the GOAT'. It went viral during esports tournaments and now gets used for anything good: great food? YYDS. Nice weather? YYDS. Your favorite singer? YYDS.
Méi xī YYDS!
Messi is the GOAT!
4内卷 (nèi juǎn) — Involution
This is THE buzzword of modern Chinese society. literally means 'inward rolling' and describes the crushing rat race of Chinese work/study culture. Everyone working harder and harder just to stay in the same place. Students studying until 2am because everyone else studies until 1am. It's the Chinese equivalent of 'the grind' but with existential dread.
5躺平 (tǎng píng) — Lying Flat
The antidote to . means 'lying flat' — choosing to opt out of the competitive rat race. Don't want to work 996? . Can't afford a house anyway? . It's a quiet rebellion against hustle culture. The Chinese government... is not a fan of this movement.
wǒ xuǎnzé tǎng píng
I choose to lie flat (give up competing)
6打工人 (dǎ gōng rén) — Worker/Wage Slave
Literally 'person who does work for others'. It became a meme because of its self-deprecating humor. 'Good morning, !' is the Chinese millennial version of 'rise and grind'. It acknowledges that you're a corporate cog while somehow making it funny.
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