From 'Blue Thin Mushroom' to 'I'm Too Yummy': A Timeline of China’s Wildest Internet Phrases

If you've ever scrolled through Chinese social media and suddenly saw someone sobbing about being a 'blue thin mushroom', don’t panic—you’ve just entered the wonderfully weird world of China’s internet slang. These viral phrases aren’t just random nonsense; they’re cultural snapshots, emotional outlets, and sometimes full-blown memes that take over Weibo, Douyin, and beyond.

The Birth of a Digital Dialect

China’s netizens are linguistic artists. With censorship shaping online expression, creativity thrives in metaphors, homophones, and absurd humor. Let’s dive into some of the most iconic phrases that defined a generation.

1. ‘Blue Thin Mushroom’ (蓝瘦香菇) – 2016

A perfect storm of bad breakups and mispronunciation. This phrase came from a heartbroken guy in a viral video who actually meant to say 'very upset and want to cry' (难受想哭), but his local accent made it sound like 'blue thin mushroom'. The absurdity went supernova.

2. ‘Tapped on the Head by Fortune’ (锦鲤附身) – 2018

When a woman named Li Xiang posted a selfie with a koi fish and jokingly said she was ‘blessed by the koi’, her post got 4 million reshares overnight. Suddenly, everyone wanted to be the jinli—the lucky charm of social media. Brands jumped in fast.

3. ‘I’m Too Yummy’ (我太难了 / 我太香了?) – 2019

Wait—was it hard or yummy? Actually, it started as 'wo tai nan le' (I’m too hard/difficult), expressing stress. But thanks to autocorrect and irony, it morphed into 'I’m too yummy', turning self-pity into playful narcissism.

4. ‘Lying Flat’ (躺平) – 2021

Not just a meme—a movement. Young workers rejected hustle culture, choosing minimal effort for basic survival. It sparked national debate and even government concern. Sometimes, doing nothing says everything.

These phrases aren’t just jokes—they reflect real emotions in a tightly censored digital space. From heartbreak to burnout, Chinese netizens use humor to cope, connect, and quietly resist.

So next time you see a koi meme or someone claiming they’re ‘too yummy’, remember: there’s more beneath the surface than silly words. It’s language evolving at internet speed—one absurd, poetic, brilliant phrase at a time.