Nearly half respondents worry buzzwords contaminate Chinese language   

超6成受访者认为网络流行语入侵汉语现象严重

上周，中国青年报社会调查中心通过民意中国网和问卷网，对1601人进行的一项调查显示，89.8%的受访者日常生活中会使用网络流行语。64.2%的受访者认为当下网络流行语入侵汉语现象严重，46.0%的受访者担心会污染汉语。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) -- More than 64 percent of people think popular words on social networking sites are invading the Chinese language, with 46 percent worrying that they would pollute the language, according to a survey by China Youth Daily.

Among 1,601 respondents to the survey on the use and impact of Internet buzzwords, more than 45 percent were from the post-80s generation, with the post-90s generation accounting for only 22 percent.

"萌萌哒" (mengmengda), meaning "adorably cute", is the most widely used catchphrase, according to the survey. It was followed by "有钱 任性" (youqian renxing), literally meaning "rich and willful", a phrase used to describe someone with careless spending habits and who tends to be wasteful with money.

Buzzwords are a reflection of contemporary society where netizens and citizens meet and meld. Some reflect new trends taking place in Chinese society, but some are taboo, such as "屌丝" (diaosi), meaning a "loser" lacking good looks, wealth and social resources.

These phrases pose a threat to the development of the Chinese language, Zhang Huaiqiong, a member of Shanghai People's Political Consultative Committee, was quoted as saying.

However, Chinese writer Li Mingsheng is not pessimistic about the development of Chinese, saying that he believes that people are able to tell if the language is beautiful or not. He added that some buzzwords are creative and display a good sense of humor, which will enrich Chinese culture.

Chen Manhua, a professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said an initiative should be launched to bring language experts together to paraphrase these buzzwords in order to promote the healthy development of the Chinese language.