What you might see from WeChat’s 朋友圈

Over 500 million people stay active on WeChat per month according to recent reports, making it the biggest social media platform in China. More than half of the users reported opening the app over 10 times a day while nearly one quarter of its users are heavy "addicts" who open it over 30 times. Given that a large portion of social activities now take place online, it may prove handy to know some social media lingo, especially on WeChat.

Once you have made it into someone's "circle of friends" or 朋友圈 (péngyǒuquān), it's time to start getting to know them by browsing their "moments", a personal blog with posts of their daily routines, hobbies, and opinions. But be careful, you may not always like what you find out. The most common actions on WeChat are 晒 (shài) and 秀 (xiù), both meaning "to show". Most of the time, people just share their daily experiences and stuff they find interesting.

Posts:

This newly opened restaurant serves authentic Sichuan food. I recommend you have a taste.

zhè jiā xīn kāi de cānguǎn chuāncài hěn zhèngzōng, tuījiàn dàjiā qù cháng yi cháng.

这家新开的餐馆川菜很正宗，推荐大家去尝一尝。

Where is it? I'd like to try it!

zài náli? wǒ yě xiǎng qù!

在哪里？我也想去!

Food posts, or 晒美食 (shài měishí), are guaranteed to appear on your WeChat daily. When you do it, just be careful not to post a picture of delicious cuisine late at night, or you will be jokingly accused of 报复社会 (bàofù shèhuì), or "taking revenge on society". Originally used to describe random crimes against members of society, here the logic dictates: your alluring food photos will undoubtedly lead viewers to unhealthy late night snacks. People who took the hit will be filled with guilt after they have filled their stomach. Emotional distress and actual fat on their hips, your post is definitely a weapon of massive destruction. Of course, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy all the crying face emojis in your comment section.

Your friend will also call your act 拉仇恨 (lā chóuhèn), literally "attracting hatred". Originally a gamers' invention to describe the act of attracting monsters in certain video games, this term is now widely used as playful banter among friends, meaning "I hate you" or "I'm so jealous".

Post: 

Showing delicious lamb barbecue late at night to take revenge on society!

shēnyè shài kǎo yángròuchuànr, bàofù shèhuì le!

深夜晒烤羊肉串儿，报复社会了！

Comment: You are so good at attracting hatred.

nǐ lā de yì shǒu hǎo chóuhèn.

你拉得一手好仇恨。

Of course, it also applies to sharing anything that would make your friends jealous, but of course, you are not really doing it for that purpose…right?

Post: 

The Beijing summer is so hot; it's as high as 40 degrees, while my city is only 25 degrees.

běijīng de xiàtiān tài rè le, jùrán yǒu sìshí dù, wǒ zhèli cái èrshíwǔ dù.

北京的夏天太热了，居然有四十度，我这里才二十五度。

Comment: You are plainly and simply attracting hatred!

nǐ zhè shì chìluǒluǒ de lā chóuhěn !

你这是赤裸裸地拉仇恨！

No, I'm luring you for a visit.

búshì, wǒ shì gōuyǐn nǐ lái wánr.

不是，我是勾引你来玩儿。

It's natural for people from different walks of life to show different things, but young parents are notorious for sharing unwanted photos of their babies, or 晒宝宝 (shài bǎobao). We understand the wonder a new life brings to the world, but a picture every day, showing these little angels drooling or babbling, may be too much for us. Nevertheless, you don't want to be completely anti-social or appear cold-hearted. Here are few things you can say:

Post: 

41 days since the baby's birth, mum and dad love you!

háizi chūshēng dì-sìshíyī tiān jìniàn, bàmā ài nǐ!

孩子出生第41天纪念，爸妈爱你！

Comment 1: So cute! She looks just like her mother.

zhēn kěài! tā zhǎng de zhēn xiàng māma.

真可爱！她长得真像妈妈。

Comment 2: [Babies grow] so fast, [I didn't realize] she was already this big.

zhēn kuài a, háizi dōu zhǎng zhème dà le.

真快啊，孩子都长这么大了。

Compliment the child; say they are beautiful and that they have a remarkable resemblance to their parents, even if all babies look like chubby lizards to you. Ask about the details of their development and the proud parents will soon be over the moon. None of this may seem interesting to you, but you have to do it—it's called being social.