Chinese slang term: 凤凰男

"凤凰男" (fèng huáng nán) is one of the Internet catchwords in China. "凤凰" (fèng huáng), or "phoenix" in English, is a mythical long-lived bird capable of getting regenerated or reborn cyclically. A phoenix dies in a blazing fire. By virtue of the sun, it rises from the ashes of its predecessor and gets reborn. "男" means "man". So "凤凰男", literally "phoenix man", refers to the poor rural guys who have been admitted to the university after many twists and turns and finally settled down in a city after graduation. The cruel and hard life has deeply imprinted on them and endowed them with the tough and indomitable spirit, which contributes greatly to their career development. Usually, these men earn the wealth and social status through their own diligence and efforts.

“凤凰男（fèng huáng nán）”是最流行的网络词之一。“凤凰（fèng huáng）”指的是一种长寿的神鸟，它能循环再生。凤凰死于熊熊大火，但借助太阳的力量，便可以从灰烬中获得重生。“男”的英文意思则为“man”。“凤凰男”是指那些出身贫寒，几经辛苦考上大学，毕业后留在城市工作生活的男子，生活的残酷与艰辛，给他们的心灵留下了深刻的烙印，这使得他们普遍具有吃苦耐劳的精神以及拼搏的狠劲，这给他们带来了事业上的发展。因此，凤凰男的财富和地位，都是靠自己的双手努力奋斗得来的。

Just like the older generation in urban areas who have suffered a lot in the past, phoenix men keeps a frugal life. They know the significance of hard work, but don't consider scarcity as horrible as some people do. They take on a positive and courageous attitude toward matter and money. They believe that every one can get the most expensive things as long as he keeps working hard.

凤凰男就是像城市中许多经历过历史上的苦难年代的老人一样，始终保持着节俭的习惯，同时像所有靠自己的双手而拥有一切的人一样，他们中的大部分人知道努力的意义，也明白物质匮乏的生活并不像某些小市民想象的那样可怕。对物质和金钱的关系都抱着积极的态度和勇气，他们知道：再贵的东西，努力的话人人都会有。

Generally speaking, "凤凰男" are self-abased, self-conceited, mean and sensitive. They dream of marrying city girls. However, once married, such a couple are often bothered by their different cultural backgrounds and life styles.

凤凰男的性格特征主要是自卑、自负、吝啬以又敏感。他们多希望与城市女结婚，但常因两人的文化背景和生活习惯不同而出现问题。