KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — So, what’s a girl to do when her heart is heavy and her boyfriend’s flying off? She hits up social media, of course!
Enter Xiaohongshu, the popular Chinese lifestyle platform, where foreign blogger YourKris shared two tearful photos — one with her boyfriend at the airport.
Next, enter the Chinese netizens, swooping in with their own brand of comfort, in Chinglish, including the now-viral phrase: “You pretty, he ugly, you swan, he frog!”
This delightfully literal translation of a Chinese idiom sparked both amusement and empathy. The comments, often direct translations of Chinese sayings, highlighted how our globalised world allows languages and cultures to intersect in playful ways.
Phrases like “Cry what? Man like taxi, one go, next come” and “Old no go, new no come” (meaning “out with the old, in with the new”) captivated and entertained English speakers when they appeared on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Just like “Long time no see” has become a staple in English, these quirky translations are ripe for meme-making.
