Netizens around the world create and use so many new Internet slang on social media. In China, there’s even a witty and unique way to communicate with each other. Chinese numerical slang is often used by the youth because of how convenient and easy it is to convey common phrases in numerical digits. These words are substituted by numbers because the numbers sound identical to those specific words.
Here are 5 Chinese numerical slang that you can use if you want to be hip and trendy on the Internet:
Courtesy of Teleskola
1. 886 (bā bā liù)
886 (八八六 or bā bā liù) sounds identical to 拜拜了 (bài bài le), which means, “bye-bye,” “goodbye,” or “bye-bye then.” 八 八(bā bā) can be similar to 拜拜 (bài bài). You can also use 88 instead of 886!
2. 7456 (qī sì wǔ liù)
7456 (七四五六 or qī sì wǔ liù) means “you’re angering me to death!” because it sounds similar to the phrase, 气死我了 (qì sǐ wǒ le). 五 or wǔ can still end up sounding close to 我 (wǒ), even if the vowels, “u” and “o” are different. If you’re in a state of anger with your cheeks flaming red, you can quickly type these numbers to express your feelings.
3. 520 (wǔ èr líng)
520 (五二零 or wǔ èr líng) has reached incredible popularity in China that Chinese people even celebrate another Valentine’s Day on May 20. 520 means “I love you” or 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ). 五 (wǔ) as 我 (wǒ), 二 (èr) as 爱 (ài), and 零 (líng) as 你 (nǐ). It may not look identical if you look at the consonants and vowels, but if you pronounce the Chinese numbers as the 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), you’ll end up getting it.
4. 1314 (yī sān yī sì)
1314 (一三一四 or yī sān yī sì) sounds close to the idiom, 一生一世 (yī shēng yī shì) with similar consonants and pronunciation. 一生一世 means “a whole lifetime,” “all my life,” or “forever.” You can easily use 1314 at the end of your sentences.
5. 555 (wǔ wǔ wǔ)
555 (五五五 wǔ wǔ wǔ) is not really a word or phrase but an onomatopoeia for crying. If you read the Chinese numbers, the characters have a similar sound to a wail. Instead of using crying emojis or emoticons, why not try using 555 to express your sadness? It’s easier to type the numbers thrice than switching to the emoji keyboard, right?
Article artwork by Ariane Agravante
