Mandarin Monday: Decoding Chinese Number and Letter Slang

Mandarin Monday is a regular series where we help you improve your Chinese by detailing fun and practical phrases and characters. 

Following the surge in popularity of Xiaohongshu (Red) and the influx of #TikTokRefugees we wrote a post covering some basic phrases to help you get started. Now we're going to take a look at some internet slang. If you've started using Red yourself, you may have noticed in captions or comments people using number or letter combinations and wondered about the meaning behind it all.

Over time, Chinese netizens have developed a playful and efficient way to communicate online using letter abbreviations and number codes that correspond to slang terms. So, whether you're scrolling through Red or chatting with friends over WeChat, understanding these slang terms will help you stay ahead of the latest digital trends. 

Number-Based Slang

Numbers in Chinese are often used as slang due to their phonetic similarities with certain words. For example, you may have noticed when looking at meal deals this past Valentine's Day that many of them are priced at RMB 520 or RMB 1,314, and there's a reason for that! 

In case you didn't already know, one thing to note is that one (yī) is sometimes pronounced "yāo" to avoid confusion with similar-sounding numbers, especially in phone numbers or codes. Knowing this will help explain the meaning behind a few of these slang numbers.

520 wǔ èr líng (我爱你 – wǒ ài nǐ) – “I love you”  
5 (wǔ) sounds like "我" (wǒ), and 20 (èr líng) sounds like "爱你" (ài nǐ).  This phrase is often used in romantic messages and on May 20 (520 Day), China’s unofficial Valentine’s Day.  

521 wǔ èr yī  (我愿意 – wǒ yuànyì) – “I am willing”  
 Often used as a response to 520.  

1314 yī sān yī sì (一生一世 – yīshēng yīshì) – “Forever and ever”  
Used in romantic contexts to signify lifelong love.  

666 liù liù liù (溜溜溜 – liù liù liù) – “Awesome” or “Cool”  
The number 6 (liù) sounds like "溜" (liū), meaning “smooth” or “slick.”  

233 èr sān sān (哈哈哈 – hā hā hā) – “Hahaha”  
Represents the sound of laughing, similar to LOL in English.  

7456 qī sì wǔ liù (气死我了 – qì sǐ wǒ le) – “I’m so angry”  
 A play on the similar sounds of each number.  

94 jiǔ sì (就是 – jiùshì) – “Exactly”  
Sound like the conjunction 就是 (jiùshì) which means "so" or "just like" to express an agreement with something.

995 jiǔ jiǔ wǔ (救救我 – jiù jiù wǒ) – “Help me!”
Often used in an amusing or ironic way when someone feels overwhelmed.

748 qī sì bā (去死吧 – qù sǐ ba) – “Go to hell”/“Get lost”
A harsh way to tell someone off.

88 bā bā (bye bye) – “Goodbye”
Sounds like "bye-bye" in English and is commonly used at the end of chats.

555 wǔ wǔ wǔ (呜呜呜 – wūwūwū) – “Crying”
Represents the sound of crying, much like "T_T" in English.

484 sì bā sì (是不是 – shì bú shì) – “Yes or no?”
Used to ask for confirmation, similar to “right?” in English.

530 wǔ sān líng (我想你 – wǒ xiǎng nǐ) – “I miss you”
A sweet way to express longing for someone.

4242 sì èr sì èr (是啊是啊 – shì a shì a) – “Yes, yes”
Sounds like someone agreeing enthusiastically.

918 jiǔ yāo bā (加油吧 – jiāyóu ba) – “Good luck” / “Come on!”
Used to encourage someone, similar to “You got this!”

514 wǔ yāo sì (我要死 – wǒ yào sǐ) – “I want to die”
Often used dramatically or jokingly in stressful situations.

56 wǔ liù (无聊 – wú liáo) – “Boring”
Used to insult something or someone as dull.

996  jiǔ jiǔ liù (996 work culture)
Refers to China’s notorious “996” work schedule: 9am to 6pm, six days a week.

Letter-Based Slang 

Chinese speakers often use initials of pinyin words to create internet slang, similar to how English speakers say "LOL" or "OMG". Here are some commonly used ones:  

YYDS (永远的神 – yǒngyuǎn de shén) – “Forever God”  
Used to praise someone or something as legendary or unbeatable, it's similar to GOAT in English.

NSDD (你说得对 – nǐ shuō de duì) – “You are right”
Although literally meaning "you are right," it's often used sarcastically to dismiss an argument.

ZQSG (真情实感 – zhēnqíng shígǎn) – “True feelings”
Used when someone is genuinely emotional or invested in something.

XSWL (笑死我了 – xiào sǐ wǒ le) – “Dying of laughter”
Equivalent to "LOL" or "LMAO."

QSWL (气死我了 – qì sǐ wǒle) – “I’m extremely annoyed”
This is pretty much the opposite of XSWL and expresses deep frustration.

DSSQ (大师球 – dàshī qiú) – “Master Ball”
This comes from the Pokemon games and is a metaphor for something extremely rare or valuable.

HHH (哈哈哈 – hāhāhā) – “Hahaha”
A simple and common way to express laughter online, just like "LOL."

U1S1 (有一说一 – yǒuyī shuō yī) – “To be honest”
Usually used at the start of a sentence when someone wants to speak frankly.

DBQ (对不起 – duìbùqǐ) – “Sorry”
A straightforward abbreviation for apologizing quickly.

Letter Slang: Insults and Swear Words

A NOTE TO SENSITIVE READERS: If you'd rather not read these rather rude letter slang phrases then stop reading here. Otherwise read on, but please note we do not encourage you to use any of these when chatting online or with friends.

CNM (草泥马 – cǎonímǎ) – “F*** your mother”
A censored way to write "操你妈" (Cào nǐ mā), a strong insult. It literally translates to “grass mud horse,” which became an internet meme to evade censorship.

NMSL (你妈死了 – nǐ mā sǐ le) – “Your mother is dead”
A highly offensive insult, often used in online arguments, it gained popularity after being used by aggressive fans in heated discussions.

TMD (他妈的 – tā mā de) – “Damn it”/“F***”
The Chinese equivalent of saying “damn” or “f***ing hell,” it can be used to express frustration or anger in casual speech.

WCNM (我操你妈 – wǒ cào nǐ mā) – “I F***** your mother”
A more explicit version of CNM, considered highly offensive.

SB (傻逼 – shǎbī) – “Idiot”
A vulgar term that technically translates to stupid c*** but that can generally be translated as "idiot." It's often used jokingly among friends but can also be insulting depending on the context.

Do you have a favorite Chinese slang term? Let us know in the comments!  

READ: Mandarin Monday: Your Guide to Getting Love on Xiaohongshu (Red)

Images: Canva, Giphy