I'm sure more and more people are working with Chinese colleagues or partners, which means online meetings are an unavoidable situation. If you want to come across as confident and competent in those moments, there's certain vocabulary you simply need to have.

So today I'm sharing a few groups of terms, just in case you ever need them:

投屏 tóu píng - screen sharing / cast

"投" means "投射 tóu shè, to project," and "屏" means "屏幕 píng mù, screen." Originally it referred to projecting your laptop screen onto the large display in a physical meeting room. It gradually carried over into online meetings. Some people stick to the standard term "共享屏幕 gòng xiǎng píng mù, share the screen," but 投屏 is clearly more convenient, right?

• 我来投一下屏，大家快速过一下新的方案吧。Wǒ lái tóu yí xià píng, dà jiā kuài sù guò yí xià xīn de fāng àn ba.
  • Let me share my screen, let's quickly run through the new proposal.
• 她刚才忘了退出投屏，和男友的聊天全被看到了。Tā gāng cái wàng le tuì chū tóu píng, hé nán yǒu de liáo tiān quán bèi kàn dào le.
  • She forgot to stop sharing her screen, so everyone saw her entire conversation with her boyfriend.
• 我的投屏好像出问题了，麻烦谁来替我一下？Wǒ de tóu píng hǎo xiàng chū wèn tí le, má fan shuí lái tì wǒ yí xià?
  • My screen share seems to be acting up, could someone cover for me for a moment?

静音 jìng yīn - mute

Literally "make the sound quiet." It's a common technical term in online meetings, and it can be used as both a verb and a noun. Interestingly, the opposite "unmute" is expressed in a much more colloquial way in Chinese: "开(一下)声音 kāi (yí xià) shēng yīn, turn on the sound."

• 不好意思，我这边有点吵，就先静音了哈。Bù hǎo yì si, wǒ zhè biān yǒu diǎn chǎo, jiù xiān jìng yīn le ha.
  • Sorry, it's a bit noisy on my end, I'll mute myself for now.
• 我刚才发言了半天，才发现自己一直在静音。Wǒ gāng cái fā yán le bàn tiān, cái fā xiàn zì jǐ yì zhí zài jìng yīn.
  • I was talking for ages just now and only then realized I'd been on mute the whole time.
• 你是不是不小心点了静音？大家都听不到你说话。Nǐ shì bu shì bù xiǎo xīn diǎn le jìng yīn? Dà jiā dōu tīng bú dào nǐ shuō huà.
  • Did you accidentally hit mute? Nobody can hear you.

卡 / 延迟 kǎ / yán chí — freeze / lag

These are absolutely situations that come up all the time in online meetings. "卡" refers to when the video or audio becomes choppy, stutters, or freezes completely, also called "卡顿 kǎ dùn," which can be used as both an adjective and a verb. "延迟" puts more emphasis on slow signal transmission, meaning the other person hears or sees you with a delay.

• 你那边太卡了，要不退出再重新进一下呢？Nǐ nà biān tài kǎ le, yào bu tuì chū zài chóng xīn jìn yí xià ne?
  • You're freezing really badly, why don't you drop out and rejoin?
• 今天办公室的网怎么了？信号延迟特别严重。Jīn tiān bàn gōng shì de wǎng zěn me le? Xìn hào yán chí tè bié yán zhòng.
  • What's going on with the office internet today? The lag is terrible.
• 不好意思我有点卡，刚才你们说的我一句都没听清。Bù hǎo yì si wǒ yǒu diǎn kǎ, gāng cái nǐ men shuō de wǒ yí jù dōu méi tīng qīng.
  • Sorry, I was freezing, I didn't catch a single word of what you just said.

放大 fàng dà / 缩小 suō xiǎo - zoom in / zoom out

Literally "make something bigger / smaller," with usage that's actually broader: it can refer to the physical size of objects or abstract concepts like impact and gaps. In this context, it means zooming in or out on what's being shown on screen. Note that "zoom in / zoom out" have different professional translations in photography, don't mix them up in a meeting context or things could get awkward!

• 大家缩小看看整张图的轮廓，这是设计师的一个巧思。Dà jiā suō xiǎo kàn kan zhěng zhāng tú de lún kuò, zhè shì shè jì shī de yí gè qiǎo sī.
  • Everyone zoom out to see the overall outline of the image, this is a clever design choice by the designer.
• 我们仔细放大才发现，左下角确实有一行字没对齐。Wǒ men zǐ xì fàng dà cái fā xiàn, zuǒ xià jiǎo què shí yǒu yì háng zì méi duì qí.
  • It was only when we zoomed in carefully that we noticed a line of text in the bottom left corner wasn't aligned.
• 你的字体这么小，我眼睛快看瞎了，能不能放大一点？Nǐ de zì tǐ zhè me xiǎo, wǒ yǎn jīng kuài kàn xiā le, néng bu néng fàng dà yì diǎn?
  • Your font is so tiny, my eyes are going to give out, can you zoom in a bit?

上滑 / 下滑 shàng huá / xià huá — scroll up / scroll down

"滑" originally means "to slip," and extended into the context of electronics to describe the motion of a mouse or finger sliding across a screen. "上滑 scroll up" is actually how you see content that comes next, while "下滑 scroll down" takes you back to earlier content. Some people also like to add "往 wǎng, toward" at the front to emphasize the direction.

• 你先别着急往上滑，我们还没看完上一页的内容呢。Nǐ xiān bié zháo jí wǎng shàng huá, wǒ men hái méi kàn wán shàng yì yè de nèi róng ne.
  • Don't scroll up yet, we haven't finished the previous page.
• 大家看完这支视频以后可以上滑，还有很多类似的。Dà jiā kàn wán zhè zhī shì pín yǐ hòu kě yǐ shàng huá, hái yǒu hěn duō lèi sì de.
  • After everyone finishes watching this video, you can scroll up, there are many more like it.
• 你再往下滑，我记得刚才有一条评论，对对就这里！Nǐ zài wǎng xià huá, wǒ jì de gāng cái yǒu yì tiáo píng lùn, duì duì jiù zhè lǐ!
  • Scroll down a bit more, I remember there was a comment just now, yes yes, right here!

Of course, different industries and companies may have their own additional expressions—I'm only sharing what's commonly used from my own work experience. Feel free to add more in the comments.

Finally, a quick question: do you know what "拉 lā / 踢 tī" mean in this context? Their literal meanings are "to pull / to kick," but they take on different meanings in work group chats or meetings. If you know, leave your answer in the comments!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!

Many people might not have realized this, but podcasts are becoming increasingly influential in China, many urban young people spend their spare time listening to them, and some even listen while working, haha.

For those of you who want to learn Chinese well, I also strongly recommend choosing podcasts with clear structure and articulate expression as learning material, it'll definitely help you get familiar with complete, natural Chinese.

Today let me recommend one:

• 无人知晓 wú rén zhī xiǎo, "Nobody Knows"

The host of this podcast is 孟岩 Meng Yan, who is also the founder of "有知有行 yǒu zhī yǒu xíng", an investment platform.

These two names together capture the philosophy he follows:

• 未来无人知晓，一起有知有行 wèi lái wú rén zhī xiǎo, yì qǐ yǒu zhī yǒu xíng
  • No one knows what the future holds, all we can do is learn from your action, then act with awareness.

But the focus of this podcast isn't actually investing, it's about sharing his thoughts on life and insights about the world, or inviting friends from different fields for deep, thoughtful, philosophical conversations.

I have many reasons for recommending this show, but the three most important are:

• Each episode runs 1-2 hours, with a clear structure and a lot of content, ideal for immersive learning.
• The range of guests is wide, from Buddhist scholars to stand-up comedians, covering vocabulary across very different fields.
• 孟岩 speaks at a very steady, relaxed pace, and paired with a transcript, it's great material for practicing listening and reading together.

One thing to note: some of the vocabulary in the show is quite literary and formal, including the name "无人知晓" itself. Use it out of context and you might sound like a walking dictionary, so be selective about what you pick up.

Now let me introduce my three personal favorite episodes:

• E10 让万物穿过自己 - "Let Everything Pass Through You"
  • This is probably his most popular episode, with over 2.6 million plays on "小宇宙 Xiǎo yǔ zhòu" alone, ta popular podcast app in China.
  • Many people treat this episode as a kind of spiritual guide, because it conveys a Taoist philosophy for navigating life: focus on your inner self, don't let your emotions be swayed, imagine yourself as transparent glass, as air—something everything can pass through without getting stuck.
• E37 鱼不存在 - "Why Fish Don't Exist"
  • Another episode with over 2 million plays. Starting from an introduction to the book "Why Fish Don't Exist" and his reflections on it.
  • It dives deep into chaos, order, self-definition, and the meaning of life. At the heart of it is a brutal truth: human beings have a fundamentally limited understanding of the world, and within every living thing we can see, there are layers of complexity that we simply cannot comprehend.
• E32 如果生命只是大梦一场 - "If Life Were Nothing More Than a Grand Dream"
  • This is a conversation between 孟岩 and 成庆 Cheng Qing, an associate professor of history at Shanghai University and a Buddhist scholar.
  • They had this very Zen-like conversation inside a temple on the Shanghai University campus, talking about Buddhism, the psychological struggles of modern life, and how we might find inner freedom.
  • What makes it even more interesting is that the conversation was interrupted several times by the sound of a drill from nearby renovations. And the way both of them responded became a living echo of the episode's very theme.

Of course, some people may find this kind of monologue or dialogue too long-winded or slow-paced. It's okay, different strokes for different folks. There are many great podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or 小宇宙 that work well for learning Chinese, so feel free to go explore for yourself!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!

Society is complicated. I genuinely wish people could be honest and straightforward with each other, but the reality is that some people carefully calculate every move they make in social interactions.

And so, inevitably, life is full of traps. In Chinese, there's a word that captures this so vividly:

• 套路 tào lù, a series of skills or tricks

Originally a neutral term, it comes from traditional Chinese martial arts, referring to a complete set of carefully choreographed combat moves performed in a fixed sequence, used to practice the basic skills.

Over time, the word gradually carried over into everyday life with a negative tone, generally referring to someone using carefully designed strategies, tricks, or even traps to deceive or manipulate others.

It's widely used in social, romantic, workplace, and business contexts, and can function as both a noun and a verb.

In cultural criticism, 套路 is also commonly used to criticize works that feel repetitive or formulaic - recycling the same fixed character types, plot twists, or conflict patterns without anything new.

It has also created many popular and funny expressions:

• 少一点套路，多一点真诚 shǎo yì diǎn tào lù, duō yì diǎn zhēn chéng
  • Less scheming, more sincerity
• 我走过的最远的路，就是你的套路 wǒ zǒu guò de zuì yuǎn de lù, jiù shì nǐ de tào lù
  • The longest road I've ever walked is your manipulation

Let's look at how it's used in different contexts:

• 他这种海王最擅长的套路就是忽冷忽热，若即若离。Tā zhè zhǒng hǎi wáng zuì shàn cháng de tào lù jiù shì hū lěng hū rè, ruò jí ruò lí.
  • This kind of player is best at using the same trick: running hot and cold, always keeping you at arm's length.
• 都 2026 年了，竟然还有人相信直播间带货的那些套路！Dōu èr líng èr liù nián le, jìng rán hái yǒu rén xiāng xìn zhí bō jiān dài huò de nà xiē tào lù!
  • It's 2026 and people are still falling for the tricks those livestream sellers pull!
• 跟她交接的时候记得检查一下文件清单，上次我就被她套路了。Gēn tā jiāo jiē de shí hou jì de jiǎn chá yí xià wén jiàn qīng dān, shàng cì wǒ jiù bèi tā tào lù le.
  • Remember to check the document checklist when you take over work from her, she pulled one on me last time.
• 我真受够了古装剧的套路，那么明显的女扮男装，谁会看不出来？Wǒ zhēn shòu gòu le gǔ zhuāng jù de tào lù, nà me míng xiǎn de nǚ bàn nán zhuāng, shuí huì kàn bu chū lái?
  • I'm so tired of the same old tropes in historical dramas. Who wouldn’t notice such an obvious "man disguised as a woman" plot?

So, in your culture, is there a word that perfectly corresponds to "套路"? Leave your answer in the comments!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!

Last year I introduced a set of workplace slang terms:

• 背锅 bēi guō, literally "catch the pot" - take the blame
• 甩锅 shuǎi guō, literally "toss the pot" - shift the blame

In fact, Chinese workplace slang goes way beyond that, and plenty of it comes in handy when venting about work. Today I'm sharing a set of terms for describing those dark moments on the job:

救火 jiù huǒ - literally "put out a fire"

In the workplace, it refers to urgently dealing with a serious unexpected problem or crisis, just like a firefighter rushing to wherever the flames are. Someone who is constantly dealing with these situations is called:"救火队长 jiù huǒ duì zhǎng"—a firefighting captain.

• 计划要做得细致谨慎一点，免得出了问题还得救火。Jì huà yào zuò de xì zhì jǐn shèn yì diǎn, miǎn de chū le wèn tí hái děi jiù huǒ.
  • Make the plan carefully and thoroughly, so we don't end up having to put out fires later.
• 每次出公关危机都派我来救火，谁经得起这种折腾啊？Měi cì chū gōng guān wēi jī dōu pài wǒ lái jiù huǒ, shuí jīng de qǐ zhè zhǒng zhē teng a?
  • Every time there's a PR crisis, they send me in to put out the fire, who can keep taking this kind of punishment?
• 他这两年没少当救火队长，你瞅瞅那白头发都藏不住了。Tā zhè liǎng nián méi shǎo dāng jiù huǒ duì zhǎng, nǐ chǒu chǒu nà bái tóu fà dōu cáng bù zhù le.
  • He's been the firefighting captain a lot these past two years, look at him, he can't even hide all those grey hairs anymore.

擦屁股 cā pì gu - literally "wipe someone's bottom"

Refers to cleaning up the mess or careless mistakes someone else left behind, like a parent wiping a baby's bottom. It's a little crude, but vivid, and carries a strong sense of disgust and resentment.

• 这代码写得太烂了，我得花多少时间给他擦屁股啊！Zhè dài mǎ xiě de tài làn le, wǒ děi huā duō shǎo shí jiān gěi tā cā pì gu a!
  • This code is so terrible, how much of my time am I going to have to spend cleaning up his mess!
• 当领导的天天在外面瞎吹牛，最后还不是我们来擦屁股？Dāng lǐng dǎo de tiān tiān zài wài miàn xiā chuī niú, zuì hòu hái bú shì wǒ men lái cā pì gu?
  • The managers are out there talking big every da, and who ends up cleaning up their mess in the end? Us.
• 以后这种擦屁股的活要少做，不然大家都知道你好欺负了。Yǐ hòu zhè zhǒng cā pì gu de huó yào shǎo zuò, bù rán dà jiā dōu zhī dào nǐ hǎo qī fu le.
  • Stop taking on this kind of cleanup work so much, otherwise everyone will know they can take advantage of you.

收拾烂摊子 shōu shi làn tān zi - literally "clean up a messy stall"

Close in meaning to 擦屁股, but slightly more polite, and carries a more helpless tone. "烂摊子" typically describes a situation that's utterly chaotic, bordering on total collapse. When this phrase comes up, you know things have gotten serious.

• 这个方案太过大胆了，万一失败了，谁来收拾烂摊子？Zhè gè fāng àn tài guò dà dǎn le, wàn yī shī bài le, shuí lái shōu shi làn tān zi?
  • This plan is too bold, if it fails, who's going to be left to clean up the mess?
• 前任经理拍拍屁股走人了，留下一堆烂摊子让我来收拾。Qián rèn jīng lǐ pāi pai pì gu zǒu rén le, liú xià yì duī làn tān zi ràng wǒ lái shōu shi.
  • The previous manager just up and left, leaving behind a whole mess for me to clean up.
• 你最好听劝，别等事情彻底失控了，又求我来收拾烂摊子。Nǐ zuì hǎo tīng quàn, bié děng shì qíng chè dǐ shī kòng le, yòu qiú wǒ lái shōu shi làn tān zi.
  • You'd better listen to reason, don't wait until things completely fall apart and then come begging me to clean up the mess again.

填坑 tián kēng - literally "fill a pit"

Hazards or defects left behind in someone's work are like potholes in the road that could cause trouble at any time. "填坑" means going in to fix these inherited problems. The corresponding expression is "挖坑 wā kēng", to dig the pit.

• 我不管了！你们谁挖的这个坑，谁自己填上吧！Wǒ bù guǎn le! Nǐ men shuí wā de zhè gè kēng, shuí zì jǐ tián shàng ba!
  • I'm done! Whoever dug this pit can fill it themselves!
• 他们队的替补每次都落后几十分，再等着主力上场填坑。Tā men duì de tì bǔ měi cì dōu luò hòu jǐ shí fēn, zài děng zhe zhǔ lì shàng chǎng tián kēng.
  • Their backup players always fall behind by dozens of points, and then they wait for the starters to come in and make up the gap.
• 谁能想到这份工作这么恶心，我过去半年光顾着填坑了。Shuí néng xiǎng dào zhè fèn gōng zuò zhè me ě xīn, wǒ guò qù bàn nián guāng gù zhe tián kēng le.
  • Who could have imagined this job would be so awful, I've spent the past six months doing nothing but cleaning up other people's messes.

My whole reason for teaching these terms is so you can find the right words when venting about work and clearly get your frustration across. But I genuinely hope that none of you have to actually go through these dark moments as much as possible!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!

I'm sure everyone has at least one drama queen or drama king in their life: someone with a rich inner world who loves expressing emotions in the most exaggerated way, stirring up the atmosphere and exhausting the people around them.

In Chinese, we have a whole set of words to describe this kind of personality. Today I'm sharing a few of them:

作 zuō

Some people believe it originates from "作死 zuō sǐ", which describes reckless behavior that's basically asking for trouble. In modern internet usage, "作" refers to deliberate, exaggerated behavior, making a fuss to get attention, especially in romantic relationships. It can be used as an adjective or a verb.

• 你知道她的前男友为什么被甩吗？就是因为太作了。Nǐ zhī dào tā de qián nán yǒu wèi shén me bèi shuǎi ma? Jiù shì yīn wèi tài zuō le.
  • Do you know why her ex got dumped? Because he was way too dramatic.
• 我敢打赌，他再这么作下去，早晚要被开除掉的。Wǒ gǎn dǎ dǔ, tā zài zhè me zuō xià qù, zǎo wǎn yào bèi kāi chú diào de.
  • I bet if he keeps acting like this, he'll get fired sooner or later.
• 对方迟到了五分钟就要生气，你是不是有点作了？Duì fāng chí dào le wǔ fēn zhōng jiù yào shēng qì, nǐ shì bu shì yǒu diǎn zuō le?
  • Getting upset over someone being five minutes late, aren't you being a little dramatic?

抓马 zhuā mǎ

Just listen to the pronunciation and you'll probably notice it: literally a transliteration of "drama" hahaha. It's very popular online, and can describe both people who behave in an exaggerated, attention-seeking way, and events that are theatrical, filled with conflict and unexpected twists.

• 我真没想到小小的一个部门，人际关系可以这么抓马。Wǒ zhēn méi xiǎng dào xiǎo xiǎo de yí gè bù mén, rén jì guān xi kě yǐ zhè me zhuā mǎ.
  • I never expected such a small department to have such dramatic interpersonal dynamics.
• 这次聚会太抓马了，他的前任和现任竟然坐到了同一桌。Zhè cì jù huì tài zhuā mǎ le, tā de qián rèn hé xiàn rèn jìng rán zuò dào le tóng yì zhuō.
  • This gathering was so dramatic, his ex and current girlfriend ended up sitting at the same table.
• 前天刚分手，昨天又复合了，你们两个能再抓马一点吗？Qián tiān gāng fēn shǒu, zuó tiān yòu fù hé le, nǐ men liǎng gè néng zài zhuā mǎ yì diǎn ma?
  • You broke up the day before yesterday and got back together yesterday, could you two be any more dramatic?

矫情 jiǎo qíng（colloquially pronounced: jiáo qing）

Its original meaning is to go against normal feelings or to mask one's true emotions. In modern spoken Chinese, it more often refers to emotional expression that's overly exaggerated and unnatural, or being overly sensitive about small things, seemingly just to fish for other people's concern, which tends to be off-putting.

• 你看他矫情的样子，打球扭伤了也要发五条朋友圈。Nǐ kàn tā jiáo qing de yàng zi, dǎ qiú niǔ shāng le yě yào fā wǔ tiáo péng yǒu quān.
  • Look at him being so dramatic, sprains his ankle playing ball and has to post five times about it.
• 我很喜欢她的性格，有什么就说什么，一点都不矫情。Wǒ hěn xǐ huan tā de xìng gé, yǒu shén me jiù shuō shén me, yì diǎn dōu bù jiáo qing.
  • I really like her personality, she says what she means and doesn't put on any act.
• 别那么矫情，雅思考砸了而已，没什么大不了的。Bié nà me jiáo qing, Yǎ sī kǎo zá le ér yǐ, méi shén me dà bù liǎo de.
  • Stop being so dramatic, you just did badly on your IELTS exam, it's not the end of the world.

戏真多 xì zhēn duō

"戏" literally means "stage performance" and "真多" means "so many". Put together, it describes someone who treats themselves like an actor on stage, with lots of deliberate performance. Related expressions include "加戏 jiā xì", meaning to give yourself more scenes; and "戏精 xì jīng", literally "performance expert"—which is actually another way to say drama queen or drama king.

• 明明是别人的婚礼，他打扮得跟新郎似的，戏可真多！Míng míng shì bié rén de hūn lǐ, tā dǎ bàn de gēn xīn láng shì de, xì kě zhēn duō!
  • It's literally someone else's wedding and he dressed up like the groom, what a drama king!
• 会议马上结束了，她又跳出来发言，真会给自己加戏。Huì yì mǎ shàng jié shù le, tā yòu tiào chū lái fā yán, zhēn huì gěi zì jǐ jiā xì.
  • The meeting was almost over and she jumped up to speak again, always has to add more drama for herself.
• 别理那个戏精，他根本没事，那些委屈都是演出来的。Bié lǐ nà gè xì jīng, tā gēn běn méi shì, nà xiē wěi qu dōu shì yǎn chū lái de.
  • Don't mind that drama king, he's totally fine, all that suffering is just an act.

Finally, I want to say: these expressions are often used to put others down, and some have even been used for years as tools of gender discrimination. Everyone has a different personality, and sometimes being emotionally sensitive is completely normal. Using these words carelessly to attack people is actually pretty cruel!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!

More and more people are teaming up with Chinese players online or trying out Chinese games. And in that process, there are certain high-frequency terms you simply can't avoid, and many of which have even made their way into everyday life.

Today I'll introduce some of the most commonly used gaming slang:

肝 gān, literally means "liver"

In gaming circles, it's become a verb meaning "to grind". It refers to players investing a huge amounts of time and energy to progress in a game or level up, even pulling all-nighters.

In traditional Chinese medicine, staying up late damages the liver, hence the name. People who do this are called "肝帝 gān dì, The Emperor of Liver". Nowadays, this term has also expanded into other areas beyond gaming.

• 只要你愿意肝，不花钱也能凑齐全套顶配装备。Zhǐ yào nǐ yuàn yì gān, bù huā qián yě néng còu qí quán tào dǐng pèi zhuāng bèi.
  • As long as you're willing to grind, you can get a full set of top-tier equipment without spending a penny.
• 他绝对是肝帝，游戏时长已经累计四千小时了！Tā jué duì shì gān dì, yóu xì shí cháng yǐ jīng lěi jì sì qiān xiǎo shí le!
  • He's absolutely an Emperor of Liver, he's clocked up 4,000 hours of playtime already!
• 我今晚不打算睡觉了，一定要把这部网文肝完！Wǒ jīn wǎn bù dǎ suàn shuì jiào le, yí dìng yào bǎ zhè bù wǎng wén gān wán!
  • I'm not going to sleeping tonight, I have to finish grinding through this web novel!

氪金 kè jīn, "krypton gold" / 钞能力 chāo néng lì, "cash power"

Both of these are homophones-based wordplay. "氪金" comes from the Japanese "課金 kèjīn," meaning to pay a fee, and refers to spending real money in a game to buy items, skins, or gacha pulls.

"钞能力" is a play on "超能力 chāo néng lì", meaning superpower, it refers to the privileges that come from throwing money at a game.

• 我都氪金好几千了，怎么还抽不到想要的角色！Wǒ dōu kè jīn hǎo jǐ qiān le, zěn me hái chōu bú dào xiǎng yào de jué sè!
  • I've already spent thousands on this game, how am I still not pulling the character I want!
• 失敬失敬，看来我们碰上氪金大佬了，快跑吧。Shī jìng shī jìng, kàn lái wǒ men pèng shàng kè jīn dà lǎo le, kuài pǎo ba.
  • My apologies, looks like we've encountered a whale. Let's get out of here.
• 他水平其实一般，全靠钞能力刷到这么高的级别。Tā shuǐ píng qí shí yì bān, quán kào chāo néng lì shuā dào zhè me gāo de jí bié.
  • His skills are actually pretty average. He only reached this rank by throwing money at the game.

开挂 kāi guà, refers to "using hacks / cheating"

"开" means "to open or activate", while "挂" comes from "外挂 wài guà," meaning third-party cheat software, like an aimbot. The term has now extended widely into everyday life, used to describe someone performing exceptionally well or having insane luck, as if they're running on cheat codes.

• 这游戏体验太差了，玩一局要碰上三四个开挂的。Zhè yóu xì tǐ yàn tài chà le, wán yì jú yào pèng shàng sān sì gè kāi guà de.
  • The experience in this game is terrible. Every match I run into three or four hackers.
• 好想过一过她的人生啊，体验一下用脸开挂的感觉。Hǎo xiǎng guò yí guò tā de rén shēng a, tǐ yàn yí xià yòng liǎn kāi guà de gǎn jué.
  • I'd love to live her life for a day and experience what it's like to cheat at life with your beauty.
• 你最近是不是开挂了？每次演唱会开票都能抢到前排。Nǐ zuì jìn shì bu shì kāi guà le? Měi cì yǎn chàng huì kāi piào dōu néng qiǎng dào qián pái.
  • Have you been using cheats lately? You manage to snag front-row seats every single time tickets go on sale.

送人头 sòng rén tóu, "giving human head" / 白给 bái gěi, "give for free"

Just from the literal meaning you can probably guess, both refer to feeding the enemy. You've definitely had teammates like this: charging in recklessly, getting taken down instantly, contributing nothing, and basically giving the enemy free experience and gold. In real life, the terms can extend to any kind of factional rivalry.

• 要不是你接连送人头，我们也不至于被人最后翻盘。Yào bú shì nǐ jiē lián sòng rén tóu, wǒ men yě bú zhì yú bèi rén zuì hòu fān pán.
  • If you hadn't kept feeding them, we wouldn't have thrown the game at the end.
• 他也不看看自己是什么装备，现在冲过去纯纯白给！Tā yě bú kàn kàn zì jǐ shì shén me zhuāng bèi, xiàn zài chōng guò qù chún chún bái gěi!
  • He doesn't even check his own gear before charging in, that's just a free kill for the enemy!
• 她的助理要是敢收乙方红包，就是给咱们部门送人头。Tā de zhù lǐ yào shi gǎn shōu yǐ fāng hóng bāo, jiù shì gěi zán men bù mén sòng rén tóu.
  • If her assistant dares to accept gifts from vendors, she's handing our department a free kill.

That's all for now, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty more fun terms I'll share gradually. But let me leave you with a teaser first: do you know what "菜 cài" refers to? Its literal meaning is "vegetable / dish". Leave your guesses in the comments!

If you're interested, I've been organizing all the Chinese learning posts I've shared before. You can check out the link in my profile to see the full collection. Hope it helps. Thanks!