Work & Office

jiā lǐ kuài gōng bù qǐ wǒ zài wài miàn shàng bān le

A viral phrase describing young workers whose salaries don't cover their living costs — so their parents are still supporting them financially even after they 'left home.' It names the phenomenon of 'working poverty' among China's single-child generation.

jiá jiǎo dǎ gōng rén

A worker stuck in the middle — can't fully grind (身体卷不动) and can't fully quit (躺不平). 'Angled' describes the uncomfortable position of being caught between two forces.

kǎ jí mǎ

A term for getting a last-minute urgent task right before clock-out time. The 'horse' (马) is a Year of the Horse pun on the '牛马' (oxen and horses) worker identity.

bān wèi

The exhausted, dead-eyed aura that clings to you after a long day at work — not a literal smell, but the visible vibe of someone who has been drained by meetings, emails, and corporate nonsense.

cǎo tái bān zi

An operation that looks professional and official on the outside but is actually held together by chaos, improvisation, and luck. The viral extended version: 'the whole world is a giant straw-stage troupe.'

niú mǎ

A self-mocking word white-collar workers use for themselves: 'cattle and horses,' i.e., expendable labor that works like an animal — and knows it.

pǐ yōu ā

Borrowed from 'Pick-Up Artist,' but Chinese internet repurposed it entirely: now it means psychological manipulation, gaslighting, or emotional control — especially in workplaces and relationships where a boss or partner uses criticism, guilt, and power imbalance to control you.

mō yú

To slack off at work while appearing busy — scrolling your phone, browsing shopping sites, or chatting with friends while pretending to work. The art of getting paid for doing nothing.

dà chǎng

A major Chinese tech company — think Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, Baidu, Huawei. The nickname is affectionate-brutal: a giant 'factory' where the pay is big and the assembly line never stops.