If you’ve started texting with Chinese friends or browsing apps like WeChat, Douyin (TikTok), or Weibo, you’ve probably run into messages that look like secret codes.

Maybe someone sent you a string of numbers like “666” or “555”.

Maybe they sent a random group of letters like “yyds”.

This is Chinese internet slang.

Even if you study standard Mandarin from a textbook, you won’t find internet slang. It evolves very fast, and it’s how young people actually communicate daily.

A lot of it is based on how Chinese words sound.

Because Mandarin has so many homophones (words that sound the same), it’s very easy to create slang using numbers and abbreviations.

Keep reading and I’ll decode the most popular slang terms for you.

Chinese number slang

Using numbers to replace words is one of the most unique features of Mandarin internet culture.

This works because in Mandarin, numbers often sound very similar to other words. When you type numbers, you ignore the tones, and just focus on the base sound.

Here are the most essential number slang terms you’ll see in chat rooms and comments.

666 (liùliùliù)

This is perhaps the most famous piece of Chinese slang.

The number 6 (六 - liù) sounds like the word for “smooth” or “slick” (溜 - liū).

In gaming culture, if someone makes a really great play, or if someone does something impressive, you say they are “666”. It means “awesome,” “cool,” or “well done.”

520 (wǔ’èrlíng)

If you have a Chinese boyfriend or girlfriend, you need to know this one.

520 sounds very similar to wǒ ài nǐ (我爱你), which means “I love you.”

In China, May 20th (5/20) is even celebrated as a second Valentine’s Day because of this slang!

88 (bābā)

This one is simple. The number 8 is bā.

So, “88” sounds like “ba ba.” This is simply a loan from English: “Bye-bye.”

It is much faster to type “88” than to type out the characters for goodbye (再见 - zàijiàn).

555 (wǔwǔwǔ)

The number 5 is wǔ.

If you say this repeatedly, wǔwǔwǔ, it sounds like the noise of someone crying or whimpering (呜呜呜 - wūwūwū).

People use this to show they are sad or complaining about something in a cute way.

Pinyin acronyms (the “alphabet” slang)

In recent years, especially with Gen Z users, using letters has become very trendy.

These are acronyms based on Pinyin. People take the first letter of each character in a phrase to create a shortcut.

yyds (yǒng yuǎn de shén)

This stands for 永远的神 (yǒng yuǎn de shén).

Literally, it translates to “Eternal God.”

However, it is used just like “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) in English. You use it to describe your favorite idol, a delicious food, or a movie that is incredibly good.

xswl (xiào sǐ wǒ le)

This stands for 笑死我了 (xiào sǐ wǒ le).

Literally: “Laugh myself to death.”

This is the Chinese equivalent of LOL or LMAO. You will see this all over the comment sections of funny videos on Douyin or Bilibili.

dbq (duì bù qǐ)

This is simply the short form of “sorry” (对不起 - duìbuqǐ).

It is used in casual texting when you made a small mistake or are running late.

Popular words and phrases

Aside from numbers and letters, there are actual words that have taken on new meanings on the Chinese internet.

These phrases often reflect social trends in China.

吃瓜 (chī guā)

Literally: “Eating melon.”

This phrase describes the act of watching drama unfold or gossiping, usually about celebrities. It’s like sitting back and eating watermelon while watching a show.

If you are a “melon eater” (吃瓜群众 - chī guā qún zhòng), you are just a spectator enjoying the gossip.

凡尔赛 (fán’ěrsài)

Literally: “Versailles.”

This refers to the Palace of Versailles in France. In Chinese slang, it refers to “humblebragging.”

It comes from a Japanese manga called The Rose of Versailles, which depicted a lavish aristocratic lifestyle.

If someone complains about their problems, but they are actually showing off how rich or successful they are, they are being “Versailles.”

Example of Versailles literature:

“My husband is so annoying! He bought me another Lamborghini but I didn’t even like the color of the last one.”

躺平 (tǎng píng)

Literally: “Lying flat.”

This is a very famous social term from recent years. It refers to young people who stop trying to work too hard. Instead of participating in the “rat race” and getting stressed, they decide to do the bare minimum and just “lie flat.”

Regional variations

While Mandarin is the standard, internet slang can vary depending on where the user is from.

Mainland China:

Uses Simplified characters and the slang listed above (yyds, 666, xswl). The main platforms are WeChat, Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), and Douyin.

Taiwan:

Taiwan uses Traditional characters. Their slang is different. For example, instead of 666 for “awesome,” they might say 很牛 (hěn niú) (literally: very cow/bull). Instead of 88 for bye-bye, they might strictly use 掰掰 (bāibāi). You will also see 注音 (Zhuyin/Bopomofo) symbols used as slang, which doesn’t exist in Mainland usage.

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Learning Chinese internet slang is a fun way to make your Mandarin feel more natural.

It helps you connect with friends and understand what’s happening on social media.

Here’s a quick checklist for your next chat:

• Use 666 when something is cool.
• Use 555 if you want to pretend to be sad.
• Use yyds to praise your favorite things.
• Use xswl when something is funny.

Don’t be afraid to use these. Even if you’re a beginner, sending one will impress your Chinese friends.