Chinglish shines on world stage

On social media, foreign netizens learn Chinese songs through homophonic English words. [Online Photo]

Recently, a catchphrase in “Chinglish”—“you pretty, he ugly, you swan, he frog”—has gone viral overseas, partly because of its simplicity and directness, earning it a playful reputation as a classic Shakespearean quote among netizens.

The phrase originated from a post by a foreign blogger on Chinese social media about parting with her boyfriend. Many kind-hearted Chinese netizens consoled her in the comments using “Chinglish.” Unexpectedly, the post was later shared on an overseas forum, sparking a wave of interest and amassing over 20 million clicks.

“Chinglish” has long been a unique feature of cross-cultural communication. Statistics show that since 1994, the contribution rate of “Chinglish” to the vocabulary of international English has reached 5% to 20%, surpassing any other language. Words like “paper tiger” and “good good study, day day up” have gradually become standard English.

The Oxford English Dictionary, the world’s most authoritative dictionary, officially included “add oil” in 2018, along with other entries like “feng shui” and “lose face.” These words confirm the increasing importance of “Chinglish” in global language exchanges.

“Chinglish” often appears alongside Chinese news events and cultural hits. For example, in the game “Black Myth: Wukong,” the creative team directly translated “Monkey King” and “The Golden Cudgel” into pinyin (Chinese Phonetic Alphabet) “Wukong” and “Jin Gu Bang.”

Words like “Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing),” “hongbao (red envelope),” “Chinese Baijiu (Chinese liquor),” and “geilivable (awesome/brilliant/impressive),” which emerged from news events, are often spread overseas in their pinyin forms, inspiring more foreigners to explore emerging Chinese phenomena through “Chinglish.”

As more foreigners come to live, travel, and study in China, some foreigners have begun to coin new words with a mix of Chinese and English. For example, a phrase coined by a foreign blogger recently, “City or not,” has become a synonym for urbanization, being fashionable and novel.

Some “Chinglish” expressions are discovered by international friends after studying Chinese culture, like “No wind, no waves (meaning ‘There is no smoke without fire’) .”

These innovative usages enrich English expression and demonstrate the flexibility and integration of language in communication.

Source: People’s Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao