Asian Language School

12 September 2018

Chinese Digital Expressions

Language users have become inventive in expressing themselves using numbers instead of actual words. This is especially so when communicating in text messages. In English, “you too” is abbreviated as “u2”, “for you” is abbreviated as “4u”, et cetera. Chinese digital expressions fully use a string of numbers to represent words. The number 0 represents “you” and the number 5 represents “I”. This is because the number 0 sounds something like “你 nǐ” (you) and the number 5 sounds something like “我 wǒ” (I).

Here is a list of some possible meanings of Chinese numbers from 0 to 9.

0 (零 líng): you (你 nǐ)
1 (一 yī): you (一 yī)
2 (二 èr): love ()
3 (三 sān): to miss (想 xiǎng)
4 (四 sì): yes (是 shì)
5 (五 wǔ): I (我 wǒ)
6 (六 liù): to go smoothly (流 liú)
7 (七 qī): please (请 qǐng); dear (亲 qīn); to get up (起 qǐ); air (气 qì)
8 (八bā): bye (拜拜báibái)
9 (九 jiǔ): long (久 jiǔ); then (就 jiù); to beg (求 qiú)

These numbers can be combined to form a sentence. For instance, 530 means 我-想-你 wǒ-xiǎng- nǐ (I miss you). Below lists some commonly used Chinese digital expressions and their meanings.

Chinese Digital Expressions

Number 0

  • 0487 你是白痴 nǐ shì báichī (you’re an idiot)
  • 065 原谅我 yuánliàng wǒ (forgive me)
  • 07868 你吃饱了吗 nǐ chī bǎo le ma (have you eaten yet)
  • 0837 你别生气 nǐ bié shēngqì (don’t be angry)
  • 098 你走吧 nǐ zǒu ba (please go)

Number 1

  • 1314 一生一世 yī shēng yī shì (a lifetime)
  • 1372 一厢情愿 yī xiāng qíng yuan (one’s own wishful thinking)
  • 1711 一心一意 yī xīn yī yì (focused)

Number 2

  • 246437 爱是如此神奇 ài shì rúcǐ shénqí (love is a miracle)
  • 246 饿死了è sǐ le (I’m starving)
  • 2627 爱来爱去 ài lái ài qù (love comes and goes)

Number 3

  • 369958 神啊救救我吧 shén a jiùjiù wǒ ba (god help me)
  • 3731 真心真意 zhēnxīn zhēnyì (sincerely)
  • 39 derives from Japanese san-kyuu (Thank you)

Number 4

  • 4456 速速回来 sùsù huí lái (come back quickly)
  • 48 是吧 shì ba (that’s right)
  • 4466 顺顺利利 shùnshùn lìlì (go smoothly)

Number 5

  • 520 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ ( I love you)
  • 521 我愿意 wǒ yuànyì (I’m willing)
  • 530 我想你 wǒ xiǎng nǐ (I miss you)
  • 5376 我生气了wǒ shēngqì le (I’m angry)
  • 53782 我心情不好 wǒ xīnqíng bù hǎo (I’m not in a good mood)
  • 546 我输了wǒ shū le (I lost)
  • 57350 我只在乎你 wǒ zhǐ zàihū nǐ (I only care about you)
  • 57386 我去上班了wǒ qù shàngbān le (I’m going to work)
  • 5776 我出去了wǒ chū qù le (I’m going out)
  • 586 我不来 wǒ bù lái (I won’t come)
  • 587 我抱歉 wǒ bàoqiàn (I apologize)
  • 5871 我不介意 wǒ bù jièyì (I don’t mind)

Number 6

  • 6785753 老地方不见不散 lǎo dìfāng bú jiàn bú sàn (see you at the same old place)
  • 687对不起 duì bu qǐ (I’m sorry)

Number 7

  • 70345 请你相信我 qǐng nǐ xiāngxìn wǒ (please believe me)
  • 7087 请你别走 qǐng nǐ bié zǒu (please don’t go)
  • 70885 请你帮帮我 qǐng nǐ bāngbāng wǒ (please help me)
  • 729 去喝酒 qù hē jiǔ (go out drinking)
  • 77543 猜猜我是谁 cāicāi wǒ shì shéi (guess who I am)
  • 786 吃饱了chī bǎo le (I’m full)
  • 7998 去走走吧 qù zǒuzǒu ba (let’s go out)

Number 8

  • 8006 不理你了bù lǐ nǐ le (I’m ignoring you)
  • 837 别生气 bié shēngqì (don’t be angry)
  • 865 别惹我 bié rě wǒ (don’t provoke me)
  • 88 拜拜báibái (bye)
  • 898 分手吧 fēnshǒu ba (let’s break up)

Number 9

  • 9089 求你别走 qiú nǐ bié zǒu (I beg you not to leave)
  • 918 加油吧 jiāyóu ba (good luck/best wishes)
  • 95 救我 jiù wǒ (help me)

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