Top 10 Chinese buzzwords for 2021 unveiled

(ECNS) -- “The Top 10 Internet Buzzwords for 2021” was unveiled by the National Language Resource Monitoring and Research Center on Monday, including The Age of Awakening, YYDS, Double Reduction, Po Fang, Metaverse, Juejuezi, Lie Flat, “It’s more of an insult than injury,” "I didn't get it but was just in awe," and "We are ready to build a powerful China."

Selected from a large cyber corpus, some of these 10 buzzwords reflect topics discussed widely among Chinese, while others show the feelings and emotions of Chinese youth.

“The Age of Awakening” became a hit after the red drama of the same name gained popularity, narrating the history of the Communist Party of China since 1921.

By saying “YYDS”, which literally means “eternal God”, Chinese youth usually express their admiration for idols or things they are fond of. To some extent, “YYDS” resembles GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in English.

“Double Reduction” refers to the policy China released in April to reduce the burden of homework and after-school tutoring for students from elementary l to senior high school. In addition, the policy also wishes to relieve the pressure of anxious Chinese parents who have been pinning their children's hopes on the highly-competitive college entrance exams.

“Po Fang” originally derives from the gaming community where someone’s defense gets destroyed, but is more frequently used by Chinese youth to say something has left them emotionally vulnerable or shaken by strong feelings. Besides, Bilibili, the leading video community for young generation Chinese, also announced the term “Po Fang Le” as 2021 Bullet Chat of the Year.

The new concept of “Metaverse” has also become one of the trendiest buzzwords after Facebook changes its name to Meta. China News Service also has a talk show explaining what the Metaverse really is.

“Juejuezi”, which is equivalent to “wonderful”, is also popular among fans to cheer for certain contestants they are fond of during online shows.

The lifestyle of “Lying flat”, often with low material desire, little consumption and refusal to work, study, or marry, has resonated with many young Chinese. They are eager to pause for relaxation amid the fast-paced and highly-competitive society before they start getting down to business again.

The expression “It’s more of an insult than injury” derives from a video in which two men feed each other using chopsticks while another woman at the same table looks pretty lonely. Based on this, people describe something that does no real harm but makes others extremely embarrassed as “more of an insult than injury”.

"I didn't get it but was just in awe" is originally a comment by Ang Lee, the famous director, in the documentary “Trespassing Bergman”. Now it is mostly used to express someone’s shock at something.

"We are ready to build a powerful China" is a solemn oath pledged by young people across China during this year's celebration to mark the centennial of the founding of the CPC. The term shows the ambition and confidence of Chinese youth in the new era.

Held since 2006, the Internet Buzzwords selection event aims to encourage Chinese to record their life with language and describe social changes from the Chinese perspective.