Buzzwordsof2016

Every year, a number of new words and phrases from the Internet make it to a language’s vocabulary. On December 14, Yaowenjiaozi, a monthly Chinese linguistic journal, released its annual list of the most popular buzzwords of 2016. Huang Anjing, Executive Editor of Yaowenjiaozi, said that except for two policy-related words, this year’s buzzwords were all created or popularized by China’s netizens. “This underlines a trend that language is not created only by the elite, but also generated by the public,” he said.

The most popular buzzwords and expressions used by China’s netizens reveal not only a virtual smorgasbord of linguistic ingenuity, but also the most important topics in the last 12 months. Here’s a look at what was on the tip of the Chinese tongue in 2016. on the couch reflects the yearning of many people to take it easy and let off some steam. China’s richest man and Dalian Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin sparked discussion across the country after he gave an unusual piece of advice to young people. In a TV program focused on celebrities’ lifestyles, Wang said that young people looking to become wealthy should be reasonable and take a step-by-step approach: “You shouldn’t be too ambitious to start with. Set a tiny goal first, like earning 100 million yuan ($15 million).” Viewers were shocked by the amount of money, which might seem “tiny” to Wang - who is worth an estimated $33.3 billion - but is a huge sum for anyone else. The expression has been popular ever since as way for netizens to make fun of their somewhat more modest life goals.