
Recently, the editorial board of Yaowen Jiaozi unveiled its list of the Top 10 Chinese Buzzwords for 2025. Among the selected terms are “Resilience,” “Su Chao” (Jiangsu Super League), “Guzi” (a transliteration of the English word “goods”, referring to ACG merchandise culture), “Real-Person Vibe,” “[Something] is basic, yet [something else] is anything but,” “Calm and effortless versus rushed and scrambling,” “Pre-made [X],” “Cyber Reconciliation,” “Embodied Intelligence” and “Digital Nomad.”
A closer look at several key terms reveals clear social trends:
• Embodied Intelligence gained significant attention as AI development shifted from large language models to physical robots.
• Cyber Reconciliation emerged from the spontaneous online dialogue between Chinese and American netizens amid the TikTok ban controversy.
• Digital Nomad represents the rise of the modern, location-independent, and tech-enabled professional group.
• Guzi marks the entry of once-niche anime and gaming merchandise culture into the mainstream, with the “Guzi Economy” it has spawned showing strong vitality.
Every buzzword reflects how technological and social changes reshape our language and daily lives.