Chinese Chat Codes

What Are Chinese Chat Codes?

Not being alphabetic, the Chinese language does not lend itself to abbreviations, but the Chinese do have an interesting way of adding some fun into their messages and texts. In fact, Chinese "text speak," as we might call it these days, was used long before smart phones and social-media apps. For example, the number eight (八) is considered a lucky number because it is pronounced ba, which sounds like the word for prosperity. Similarly, the number four (四) is associated with bad luck because it is pronounced si, which sounds like the word for death.

In fact, lots of Chinese words have similar sounds to how Chinese numbers are pronounced, and this means whole sentences can be created using just numbers. One notable exception is the number "0" (zero), which is used to represent the word "you" (even though it does not sound much like the Chinese word for "you"). It is simply accepted that it represents the word "you" so sentences can be formed.

These Chinese "numerical sentences" have become extremely popular, not only in China but also in countries where no Chinese is spoken. For example, 594184, which sounds a lot like "You and me for a lifetime," is commonly used between lovers in West cultures, many of whom are unable to explain how it gets its meaning.

The Meanings of Chinese Texting Numbers

Number	Chinese Meaning	English Meaning
26	你来啦	You are here
28	你来吧	Come here
358	你想我吧	You miss me
4551	你是我唯一	You are the one and only for me
4592	你是我最爱	You are my beloved
564335	你无聊时想想我	You think of me when you are bored
594184	你我就是一辈子	You and me for a lifetime
654335	你若无事想想我	If you have nothing to do, think of me
8056	你不理我啦	You ignore me now?
8358	你不想我吧	Don't think of me
8376	你别生气了	Don't be angry
86	你发了	You made a fortune
896	你不走了	You are not leaving
95	你找我	You're looking for me
96	你走了	You are leaving
1299	一来就走	Leave as soon as you arrive
12937	一来就想吃	Thinking of eating as soon as you got here
12945	要爱就是我	I'm the one who wants love
130926	一想你就来啦	Just one thought of you and you arrived
1314921	一生一世就爱你	Love you for a lifetime
1372	一厢情愿	One-sided willingness
1392010	一生就爱你一人	You are the person I'll love for a lifetime
1573	一往情深	Long-lasting, focused love (Chinese idiom)
1698	一路走吧	Let's go together
1799	一起走走	Let's stroll around
20863	爱你到来生	Love you till the next life
234	爱相随	Follow you with love
246	饿死了	Starving to death
246437	爱是如此神奇	Love is so magical
25184	爱我一辈子	Love me for a lifetime
258	爱我吧	Love me
25873	爱我到今生	Love me till death
259695	爱我就了解我	To love me is to know me
3207778	想和你去吹吹风	Want to go out with you
3344	生生世世	For generations
338	想想吧	Let's think about it a bit
3399	长长久久	For a long time
35925	想我就爱我	To think of me is to love me
360	想念你	Miss you
3726	想起来啦	Thinking of getting up
38726	想不起来啦	I can't think of it
409	罚你走	Punish you by your leaving
456	是我啦	It's me
476	死机了	Dead phone
510	我已来	I'm already here
51020	我依然爱你	I still love you
511314 20	我要一生一世 爱你	Love you for a lifetime
51396	我要睡觉了	I want to go to sleep now
51476	我也死机了	My phone is dead too
516	我要溜	I have to go
517	我要吃	I want to eat
5179	我要吃酒	I want to drink wine
5196	我要走喽	I must leave now
520	我爱你	I love you
5201314	我爱你一生一世	I want you for a lifetime
52033 44587	我爱你生生 世世不变心	I love for a lifetime with an unchanging heart
521	我愿意	I'm willing
5240	我爱是你	You are my love
526	我饿啰	I'm hungry
530	我想你	I'm thinking of you
5366	我想聊聊	I want to chat for awhile
53719	我深情依旧	I still have deep love for you
5376	我生气了	I'm upset
53770	我想亲亲你	I'm thinking of kissing you
53880	我想抱抱你	I'm thinking of hugging you
546	我输了	I lost
548	无事吧	Are you OK?
555	呜呜呜	Wu wu wu (sobbing sound)
558	午午安	Good afternoon
564335	无聊时想想我	Think of me when you are bored
5689	我溜不走	I can't sneak out
57520	吾妻我爱你	My wife, I love you
5776	我出去了	I'm going out now
58	晚安	Good night
5810	我不依你	I won't listen to you
584520	我发誓我爱你	I swear I love you
586	我不来	I'm not coming
587	我抱歉	I am sorry
5871	我不介意	I don't mind
52667	我俩遛遛去	Let's leave slowly
594230	我就是爱想你	I'm thinking of you
596	我走了	I'm leaving
667	遛遛去	Let's stroll around
6785753	老地方不见不散	Meet at the same old place and don't leave until we meet
6868	溜吧！溜吧！	Sneak out! Sneak out!
70345	请你相信我	Please believe me
71817	请你干要气	Please don't get upset
721	亲爱的	Dear
7456	气死我啦	Angers me to death
745839	其实我不想走	Actually, I don't want to leave
748	去死吧	Go to hell
74839	其实不想走	Actually, not thinking of leaving
765	去跳舞	Go dancing
768	吃了吧	Let's eat
770	亲亲你	Kiss you
770880	亲亲你抱抱你	Kiss you, hug you
775	亲亲我	Kiss me
775885	亲亲我抱抱我	Kiss me, hug me
786	吃饱了	Done eating already
7998	去走走吧	Go for a walk
8006	不理你了	Not paying attention to you anymore
801314	伴你一生一世	Your companion forever
8074	把你气死	Upset you to death
809	保龄球	Bowling
810	不要脸	Shameless
812	不要来	Don't want to come
8170	不要瞎动	Don't move recklessly
8172	不要瞎来	Don't act recklessly
82475	被爱是幸福	Being loved is happiness
825	别爱我	Don't love me
837	别生气	Don't be angry
865	别惹我	Don't annoy me
885	抱抱我	Hug me
886	拜拜了	Bye Bye
898	分手吧	Let's split
910	就要你	Just want you
918	加油吧	Cheer up
940	就是你	It's you
9482	就是不来	Just don't come
98	早安	Good morning
987	对不起	Excuse me
99013 148875	求求你一生 一世别抛弃我	Beg you for a lifetime not to leave me
9958	救救我吧	Save me

As you have a Chinese voice loaded on your browser, you should be able to hear the numbers and the "sentences" by clicking the audio icon. To our ears (and we don't speak Chinese), the numbers and the sentences sound quite different. Do you know why? Please tell us using the form below.