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HSK 2 Chinese Vocabulary Lesson

3 Words for Party Slang

社恐、社牛、社死

Shè kǒng, shè niú, shè sǐ

2:46 min video · 9 sentences · 3 key words

Transcript with pinyin and English

Hide the English to test yourself.
  1. 社恐不想跟别人说话。Shè kǒng bù xiǎng gēn biéren shuōhuà.A 社恐 (lit. 'society-fear', socially anxious person) doesn't want to talk to other people.
  2. 社恐的小美站着不说话。Shè kǒng de Xiǎo Měi zhàn zhe bù shuōhuà.Socially anxious Xiaomei stands there without speaking.
  3. 你是不是社恐？Nǐ shìbushì shè kǒng?Are you socially anxious?
  4. 大伟是社牛，谁都认识。Dà Wěi shì shè niú, shuí dōu rènshi.Dawei is a 社牛 (lit. 'society-cow', socially fearless), he knows everyone.
  5. 社牛跟谁都说得很高兴。Shè niú gēn shuí dōu shuō de hěn gāoxìng.A 社牛 chats happily with anyone.
  6. 他拿着杯子，是个社牛。Tā ná zhe bēizi, shì gè shè niú.He holds a cup in his hand, he's a 社牛 (lit. 'society-cow', socially fearless person).
  7. 我唱着歌，真社死！Wǒ chàng zhe gē, zhēn shè sǐ!I am singing away, so embarrassing (lit. 'society-die')!
  8. 我忘了她的名字，真社死。Wǒ wàng le tā de míngzi, zhēn shè sǐ.I forgot her name, so embarrassing.
  9. 你社死过吗？Nǐ shè sǐ guò ma?Have you ever died of embarrassment in public?

About this lesson

At a party, learn three trending slang words: 社恐 (socially anxious), 社牛 (socially fearless) and 社死 (dying of embarrassment in public). Each comes with its literal character meaning.

How to practise

  1. Learn each word on its card: the characters, the pinyin and what it means.
  2. Repeat every example out loud in the 跟读 · Your turn pause, then check the 别这么说 card: how not to use the word.
  3. At the end, take the quick quiz on the theme's words.

社恐、社牛、社死 Shè kǒng, shè niú, shè sǐ Party slang: socially anxious, fearless and mortified

WordPinyinMeaningDon't say 别这么说
社恐shèkǒngsocially anxious adjective or noun, 我很社恐我是很社恐。 ✗ · 我很社恐。 ✓ 社恐 works like an adjective, so say 很社恐 and skip 是.
社牛shèniúsocially fearless noun or adjective, 是社牛他很社牛的人。 ✗ · 他是社牛。 ✓ Use 是 before the noun 社牛, and do not add 很 and 的人.
社死shèsǐmortifying embarrassment verb, 社死了 or 社死过我社死你了。 ✗ · 我社死了。 ✓ 社死 has no object, so it cannot be used on another person.

Key words 生词

ChinesePinyinEnglishLevel
社恐shèkǒngsocially anxious
社牛shèniúsocially fearless
社死shèsǐmortifying embarrassment

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