In this episode, we explore a very common and natural Chinese expression: “八字还没一撇 (bā zì hái méi yī piě).”

Literally, it means “the character ‘eight’ hasn’t even had its first stroke yet.”
Native speakers use it to describe situations where something hasn’t even started or taken shape yet, but people are already talking about it.

In this episode you'll learn:

• The real meaning of 八字还没一撇
• When Chinese speakers naturally use this expression
• Two natural Chinese conversations
• Practical example sentences you can use right away
• Pronunciation practice to help you sound more native

If you're learning Chinese and want your speech to sound more natural and authentic, this is an expression you definitely need to know.

在这一期节目中，我们来学习一个非常常见、也非常地道的中文表达：“八字还没一撇”。

这个成语字面意思是：“八”这个字连第一笔都还没写出来。
它用来形容一件事情还没有开始、还没有任何眉目，但人们却已经开始讨论或担心。

在这一期节目里，你会学到：

• “八字还没一撇”真正的意思
• 中国人在什么情况下会用这个表达
• 两段真实、自然的中文对话
• 实用例句，让你马上学会使用
• 跟读发音练习，帮助你说得更像母语者

如果你正在学习中文，想让自己的表达更自然、更地道，这个表达一定要学会！

Zài zhè yī qī jiémù zhōng, wǒmen lái xuéxí yí gè fēicháng chángjiàn, yě fēicháng dìdào de Zhōngwén biǎodá: “bā zì hái méi yī piě.”

Zhège chéngyǔ zìmiàn yìsi shì: “bā” zhège zì lián dì yī bǐ dōu hái méi xiě chūlái.
Tā yòng lái xíngróng yí jiàn shìqíng hái méiyǒu kāishǐ, hái méiyǒu rènhé méimù, dàn rénmen què yǐjīng kāishǐ tǎolùn huò dānxīn.

Zài zhè yī qī jiémù lǐ, nǐ huì xué dào:

• “Bā zì hái méi yī piě” zhēnzhèng de yìsi
• Zhōngguó rén zài shénme qíngkuàng xià huì yòng zhège biǎodá
• Liǎng duàn zìrán de Zhōngwén duìhuà
• Shíyòng lìjù, ràng nǐ mǎshàng xuéhuì shǐyòng
• Gēndú fāyīn liànxí, bāngzhù nǐ shuō de gèng xiàng mǔyǔ zhě

Rúguǒ nǐ zhèngzài xué Zhōngwén, xiǎng ràng zìjǐ de biǎodá gèng zìrán, gèng dìdào, zhège biǎodá yídìng yào xuéhuì!

Conversation 1:

小美:你听说了吗？小李和他女朋友可能要结婚了！
(Xiǎo Měi): Nǐ tīngshuō le ma? Xiǎo Lǐ hé tā nǚpéngyoukěnéng yào jiéhūn le!

小张:结婚？他们连订婚都还没提呢，八字还没一撇呢。
(Xiǎo Zhāng): Jiéhūn? Tāmen lián dìnghūn dōu hái méi tíne, bāzì hái méi yì piě ne.

小美:哈哈，我也是听别人瞎说的。
(Xiǎo Měi): Hāhā, wǒ yě shì tīng biérén xiā shuō de.

Conversation 2:

小王:你儿子是不是要上哈佛大学？听说他在准备申请。
(Xiǎo Wáng): Nǐ érzi shì bú shì yào shàng Hāfó Dàxué?Tīngshuō tā zài zhǔnbèi shēnqǐng.

小李:哎呀，八字还没一撇呢，连申请材料都没开始写。
(Xiǎo Lǐ): Āiyā, bāzì hái méi yì piě ne, lián shēnqǐngcáiliào dōu méi kāishǐ xiě.

小王:原来如此，那我就不打扰你们了。
(Xiǎo Wáng): Yuánlái rúcǐ, nà wǒ jiù bù dǎrǎo nǐmenle.

What do 牛马 (corporate workhorse), 内卷 (involution), and 躺平 (lie flat) really mean in today’s China?

In this episode, we break down 5 viral Chinese buzzwords that reflect Gen Z workplace stress, competition culture, and emotional burnout. You’ll learn real-life example sentences, pronunciation practice, and cultural insights to help you understand modern Chinese conversations.

If you're learning Mandarin or curious about Chinese youth culture, this episode will upgrade your vocabulary — and maybe even hit you emotionally (破防!).

最近几年中国年轻人最常说的热词是什么？

“牛马”、“内卷”、“摆烂”、“躺平”、“破防”到底是什么意思？

这一集我们带你了解5个最火的中国网络流行语，不只学词汇，还带你看懂年轻人面对工作压力、竞争文化和情绪表达的真实心声。还有发音练习和情景对话，帮你真正听懂、说得出口！

Zhōngguó niánqīngrén zuì cháng shuō de recí shì shénme?

“Niú mǎ”, “nèi juǎn”, “bǎi làn”, “tǎng píng”, “pò fáng” dàodǐ shì shénme yìsi?

Zhè yī jí wǒmen dài nǐ liǎojiě wǔ gè zuì huǒ de Zhōngguó wǎngluò liúxíngyǔ, bù zhǐ xué cíhuì, hái dài nǐ kàn dǒng niánqīngrén miànduì gōngzuò yālì, jìngzhēng wénhuà hé qíngxù biǎodá de zhēnshí xīnshēng. Hái yǒu fāyīn liànxí hé qíngjǐng duìhuà, bāng nǐ zhēnzhèng tīng dǒng, shuō de chūkǒu!

Dialogue:

小张: 最近这份工作真是让我觉得自己像个牛马，天天加班，几乎喘不过气。

(Xiǎo Zhāng: Zuìjìn zhè fèn gōngzuò zhēn shì ràng wǒ juéde zìjǐ xiàng ge niú mǎ, tiāntiān jiābān, jīhū chuǎn bù guò qì.)

Lately this job really makes me feel like a “牛马”—working overtime every day, I can hardly breathe.

小李: 嗯，我也差不多。倒不如直接摆烂，省下精力应付这一切。

(Xiǎo Lǐ: Ń, wǒ yě chà bù duō. Dào bùrú zhíjiē bǎi làn, shěng xià jīnglì yìngfu zhè yīqiè.)

Yeah, me too. Might as well just “摆烂” and save some energy

小张: 可是内卷太严重了，要是不参与，好像连存在感都没了。

(Xiǎo Zhāng: Kěshì nèi juǎn tài yánzhòng le, yàoshi bù cānyù, hǎoxiàng lián cúnzài gǎn dōu méi le.)

But the competition is so intense—if I don’t join in, I feel invisible.

小李: 那就别躺平，但也别让自己破防了。偶尔放松一下，也许更有力量。

(Xiǎo Lǐ: Nà jiù bié tǎng píng, dàn yě bié ràng zìjǐ pò fáng le. Ōu’ěr fàngsōng yíxià, yěxǔ gèng yǒu lìliàng.)

Then don’t “lie flat,” but don’t let yourself get emotionally defeated either(or don’t let it ‘get to you’). Sometimes rest gives you more strength.