The internet is growing fast, and generation Z is surfing the internet daily – even tech-savvier than the elders. And suddenly, those from Mainland China filled the internet with their Chinese internet slang. The Weibo trending searches show celebrities posting on social media, asking for the slang words’ meaning. Is the Chinese internet slang so tricky to be understood?
What is the Chinese Internet Slang?
In English, we have slang words like “Dope!” (awesome), “You bet!” (you’re welcome), “No biggie.” (not a problem). Here in Chinese, we have them dope slang words too!
Chinese internet slang is the wide-ranging list of acronyms, consisting of the abbreviations of Chinese PinYin (the standard system of how we read Chinese in a romanized way). The China post-00 generation mainly uses slang words on social media and daily conversations.
Some of the typical Chinese internet slang includes ”666“ (liù liù liù), referring to impressive or powerful, and “xswl” (笑死我了, xiào sǐ wǒ le), meaning laughing to death. Yes, similar to “dope” and “LOL” in English.
If you want to stay hip to the Chinese culture, you can try to “Baidu yixia” (百度一下,bǎidù yíxià) when you see any of the slang words, and it means to Google it! But that’s how they say it, as they use Baidu instead of Google in China.
What does YYDS mean in Chinese?
Among all the Chinese internet slang, “YYDS” is one of the leading ones used by the post-00s. It has high frequency and strong permeability online, which the youngsters use a lot for private messages and social media interactions. When you write “YYDS” on any social site, it turns you faddish, and you can quickly assimilate into the youngsters.
So, what does “YYDS” really mean?
“YYDS” (永远的神, yǒngyuǎn de shén) means something like an eternal god. The former two characters “永远(yǒngyuǎn)” means forever or eternal, while the last character “神(shén)” means god or something impressive. To say “YYDS” is similar to saying “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) in English.
However, the rich homophones in the Chinese language might confuse people, what’s more, if they put the words in PinYin acronyms. When Yang Yang, the Chinese actor, asked on his social media, his fans joked with him using all sorts of answers. For instance, Yang Yang is single (杨杨单身, Yáng yáng dān shēn), forever single (永远单身, Yǒng yuǎn dān shēn) , forever a loser (永远屌丝, Yǒng yuǎn diǎo sī).
Kind of similar to how people misuse the English acronym “LOL.” Most of us know it means “laughing out loud.” Still, there is this woman who mistakenly uses “LOL” for “lots of love.” The worst thing is that she sent “LOL” to her relative whose family member had just passed away. Hmmm, awkward!
So, before you want to use the Chinese internet slang, make sure you know their true meaning! If you’re into the Chinese language, you might as well step in early and learn basic words like thank you, I’m sorry, Goodbye. Perhaps one day, people will call you YYDS for your fantastic Chinese language skill!
Where does YYDS originate from?
The origin of “YYDS” is from the well-known eSports player Shiny Ruo. He shouted “Uzi, YYDS!” to his idol Uzi, a retired eSports player in League of Legends.
With the power of the internet and their learning ability, gen Z quickly adopted this word and used it in daily conversation. They use “YYDS” on their chat tools and social media like Wechat and Weibo. You can even see people commenting “YYDS” on Bilibili’s bullet screen (the live commenting section of a Chinese video website, which is equivalent to Youtube).
How to use YYDS in sentences?
People usually use “YYDS” to describe someone or something awesome. The fans also use the phrase to praise their idols or to define something they like. For instance, you ate Haidilao hotpot, and it’s so delicious, you can write “Haidilao YYDS!”
Or, if you see your idol going on stage for a live performance, you can shout “XXX YYDS!”
(But we usually say “永远的神 (yǒngyuǎn de shén)” orally, rather than spelling the abbreviation directly)
To better relate, see how we say it in English slang. If I am a great fan of Michael Jordan, I say, “Michael is GOAT! The greatest of all time!”. Likewise, I can tell my friend, “Michael, YYDS!”
What makes the Chinese Internet Slang so popular?
Slang is the localization way of how people express their thoughts and concepts. It is an unofficial form of language to ease communication, and it serves social purposes.
In China, netizens often use Chinese internet slang to sound cool, show independence, and create a sense of belonging with their peers. It makes them feel extraordinary and somehow revolutionary by developing their own identities.
Undeniably, Chinese internet slang is exciting and rewarding to learn, and it is an excellent way to fit in with the Chinese culture. The wide range of Chinese internet slang is evolving fast, and these words are disseminating quickly. In fact, it has triggered controversy feeling in others, as some find these words unnecessary and perplexing. Still, we could not deny that these youngsters have made it a trend, and people adopt these words in their daily communications.
Summary
In short, “YYDS” (永远的神, yǒngyuǎn de shén) has the means of an eternal god. The post-00s use “YYDS” to mention their idol or something they like. Next time you text your Chinese friend in Mainland, you can try talking about your idol by using “YYDS”, like “Ironman, YYDS!” You might amaze the native speakers with your cultural awareness and authenticity.
If you want to learn more about Chinese culture and language, Mayot is always here for you!
Start learning now – so that when someone suddenly pops up “XSWL” or “666” in your text conversation, you know what to answer!
