China Online: Netspeak and Wordplay Used by over 700 Million Chinese Internet Users

by Veronique Michel, Claude Muller (Illustrator), Sebastien Koval (Illustrator)

Explore the creative language, slang and digital culture of China's internet generation.

From clever wordplay and internet slang to coded numbers and viral expressions, China Online offers a fascinating look at the unique language created by China's online communities. Author and translator Veronique Michel introduces readers to the humor, creativity and cultural trends that shape the way millions of young Chinese communicate today.

Discover the distinctive online "tribes" that emerged through China's internet culture, from the "Moonlight Tribe" and the "Ant Tribe" to the "Diamond Bachelors" and many others. Along the way you'll learn how Chinese internet users combine puns, abbreviations, multiple languages and ingenious number codes to communicate quickly and creatively.

Part language guide, part cultural exploration, China Online provides an entertaining introduction to the ever-evolving world of contemporary Chinese internet culture.

Genres: China

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2014

About the author

Veronique Michel is a true multilangual netizen. She has spent 25 years abroad (notably in Japan and China) and she obtained diplomas in Asian and European languages. Veronique Michel is a freelance translator and conference speaker on multiculturalism.

Reviews

[Krayfish1]

Kind of a mixed bag. Tries to split young Chinese people up into the various different names they've used for themselves on the internet, and spends most of the book on that. Spends the second most time talking about internet users' attitudes towards relationships. The part I was actually interested in was pretty disorganized. Has a bunch of examples of how things get abbreviated into internet language. It's basically a grab bag, not sure it's useful as a reference.