Most spoken Chinese slang comes from different dialects. Depending on where you’re learning Chinese, your accent will most probably change to use the local slang if you’re speaking and hanging out with the locals. Whether in Beijing, Shanghai or Taiwan – all dialects are very different.

One common thing Chinese slang has in common throughout the great middle kingdom is the use of Chinese slang on the internet.

Many Chinese numbers sound very similar to how another character may sound, therefore mimicking the meaning.

Chinese people can be very creative in this way when they create new colloquial expressions, especially in the form of internet slang!

Probably the most common phrase found in the internet slang world in China, the colloquialism 666 (pinyin: liuliuliu) comes from 牛牛牛 (pinyin: niuniuniu) meaning awesome, excellent, great etc.

When using colloquial Chinese slang, you will also hear younger people using street slang saying this.

This can also be represented by holding your hand up to represent the number 6 in Chinese counting number language and waving it around.

Probably the second most common phrase you will see on internet slang or hear as street slang, especially around the date 5/20. (20th May). This date is Chinese internet Valentine’s Day.

This is due to the fact that 520 (pinyin: wǔ’èrlíng) represents 我爱你 which sounds like the pinyin – (pinyin: wǒ ài nǐ).

995 (pinyin: jiǔ jiǔ wǔ) stands for 救救我 (pinyin: jiù jiù wǒ) meaning ‘Help me!’

Not sure why you would need to use this one on internet slang or street slang, but it a common colloquial expression used in Chinese slang – perhaps sometimes used in an amusing or ironic way.

This in pinyin is qīsìbā. This represents 去死吧 (pinyin: qùsǐba). Which, pretty much, is “Go to hell“, “Get lost”, or, more literally “Go die!”

“Bye bye” in Chinese also means the same as in English, goodbye. 88 (pinyin: bābā) sounds like the same Chinese equivalent for ‘Bye Bye’. So, when ending that conversation impress your mates with saying ’88’.

233 represents the sound of laughter. The pinyin is èr sān sān which is similar to the 哈哈哈 (used as ‘lol’) which sounds like ‘hā hā hā.

484, or ‘sibasi’ is similar to the 是不是 (shibushi) meaning yes or no.