2016 Year in Review: 2016's Most Influential Chinese Buzz Words
Whether it went your way or not, whether you're riding an incredible high, sulking in the depths of despair, or stuck in the throes of mania, 2016 is coming to a close. Dramatic shifts in global power defied expectations and conventional wisdom. And we definitely lost a lot of good ones this year – Prince, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Nancy Reagan among them.
RELATED: Full Coverage of TBJ's 2016 Year in Review
In China, where an estimated 721 million netizens ply the web, the things that truly defined the Year of the Monkey, can be hard to ascertain. Luckily, several lists of the hottest buzzwords, memes and general tomfoolery have been compiled, and they offer laowai the perfect chance to enhance their idiomatic Mandarin know-how.
One such list is from China's National Languages Resources Monitor and Research Center, which is hosting a run-off of items that attempt to sum up the “collective memory” of 2016, consisting of individual characters and phrases organized in domestic and international categories. The deadline to cast your vote for your favorite selection in each category and win a vaguely defined prize is December 19, so get to it. Frontrunners include:
Domestic Characters
霾 (mái) – Literally “haze,” better known as smog. That stuff that gives everything that soft-focus, 1970s porn effect and leaves a slight clamminess on your exposed areas.
As in, 今天的雾霾很严重 (jīntiān de wùmái hěn yánzhòng) – “Today's haze is very serious.”
规 (guī) – Literally “rule” or “regulation,” and a reference to Xi Jinping's aggressive anti-corruption campaign.
As in, 我的叔叔昨天被双规了 (wǒ de shūshū zuótiān bèi shuāngguī le) – “My uncle was investigated by the CPC yesterday.”
Domestic Phrases
小目标 (xiǎo mùbiāo) – Literally a “small target.” This can be used to inject sarcasm and is in reference to advice proffered by Dalian Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin. He told young people seeking wealth, “You shouldn't be that ambitious. Set a small target first, like earning 100 million yuan.”
Example: 我今年的小目标就是要找到男朋友 (wǒ jīnnián de xiǎomùbiāo jiùshì yào zhǎodào nánpéngyǒu) – “My goal this year is to find a boyfriend.”
洪荒之力 (hónghuāng zhī lì) – Literally “prehistoric power.” A reference to Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui, who captured hearts and minds at the Rio Olympics and blew up the Chinese Internet with her proclamation after winning a Bronze medal, during the interview by CCTV asking if she competed without reservation, she said, “我已经 … 用了洪荒之力了 (wǒ yǐ jīng … yòng le hónghuāng zhī lì le) – "I've already … expanded my primordial powers!”
International Characters
变 (biàn) – Literally “change.” Brexit, Trump, terror in Europe, Cuba, South China Sea, 'nuff said.
Example: 我最爱看的片子是变形金刚 (wǒ zuìài kàn de piànzǐ shì Biànxíng Jīngāng) – “My favorite film is Transformers.”
难 (nàn) – Literally “refugee.” At well over 60 million, the number of displaced people in the world is the highest it has been since World War II, so if you have a place to call home, count yourself lucky.
Example: 最近有很多难民涌入欧洲 (zuìjìn yǒu hěnduō nánmín yǒngrù Ōuzhōu) – “Recently, many refugees have flooded into Europe.”
International Phrases
一带一路 (yí dài yī lù) – Literally “one belt one road.” Don't even try to grasp how a road can cross several oceans, while a belt can trace the fabled Silk Road. Just know that OBOR is on pace to pwn the global economy.
Example: 一带一路工程有60多个国家参与 (yī dài yī lù gōngchéng yǒu 60 duōgè guójiā cānyǔ) – “More than 60 countries are part of the One Belt, One Road program.”
特朗普 (Tèlǎngpǔ) also (川普 Chuānpǔ) – It's Trump! The tax-dodging, deal-making, reality TV espousing real estate mogul is fully engorged with power, and you better watch your back.
Example: 特朗普的发型实在太帅了 (Tèlǎngpǔ de fāxíng shízài tàishuàile) – “Trump's hair is so handsome!”
Want to continue on your eternal (fun) struggle that is learning Mandarin? There are many more topics that caught our eye this year.
Photo: qzone
