pinyin abbreviations 拼音缩写 pīn yīn suō xiě
The letter codes of the Chinese internet, from zqsg to u1s1.
The short answer
OnlineCurrent slangChecked November 2026
Chinese internet users shorten common phrases to the first letters of their pinyin: zqsg (真情实感, real feelings), nsdd (你说得对, you're right), awsl (啊我死了, I'm dead from cuteness), u1s1 (有一说一, to be fair).
In a chat
- 琦琦 Qiqi
这部电影太好看了，我哭了三次。
This movie is so good. I cried three times.
- 灯灯 Dengdeng
nsdd，我也哭了。
So true. I cried too.
- 琦琦 Qiqi
u1s1，结局有点太快了。
To be fair, the ending was a bit rushed.
In the Dengdeng app, Dengdeng and his friends text you in Chinese every day, at your level.
How to reply
nsdd！
You're right!
When not to use it
- Many older people cannot read them. With family, type the full words.
- The codes change fast. Before you use a new one, check that people around you still use it.
How the system works
Take a phrase, read it in pinyin, keep the first letter of each syllable. 真情实感 (zhēn qíng shí gǎn) becomes zqsg; 你说得对 (nǐ shuō de duì) becomes nsdd. When a syllable sounds like a number, the number can replace it: 有一说一 (yǒu yī shuō yī) becomes u1s1.
The codes began in fandom, where fans discussed idols behind searchable keywords, and spread because they are fast, exclusive-feeling, and fun. Older codes are now general internet language; newer ones stay in their scenes.
The working vocabulary
zqsg — 真情实感, “genuine feelings”. I'm emotionally invested; this moved me. Common in fan communities by 2019, now general.
nsdd — 你说得对, “you're right”. Agreement, sometimes grudging, sometimes dripping with the opposite.
awsl — 啊我死了, “ah, I'm dead”. Overwhelmed by cuteness. The standard reaction to anything adorable.
u1s1 — 有一说一, “to be fair, one thing to say”. Signals a frank take is coming.
bdjw — 不懂就问, “if I don't understand, I'll just ask”. Polite way to open a question.
xdm — 兄弟们, “brothers, fellas”. How posters address the crowd.
pyq — 朋友圈, WeChat Moments, the friends feed.
kdl — 磕到了, “I've shipped it”. Delight at a couple — real or fictional.
yyds and xswl are the two most common of all — they have their own pages: yyds, xswl.
Using them without embarrassment
Treat the codes like jeans, not suits: fine with friends online, out of place in professional messages. When in doubt, quote the full phrase — everyone knows it; the abbreviation is just the casual costume.
Reading is easier than writing. You will see zqsg long before you dare type it, and that is the normal order of things.
In use
2 examplesnsdd，我也觉得这部剧没有想象中好看。
You're right — I also think the show isn't as good as imagined.
看完大结局，我zqsg了。
After the finale, I have real feelings about it.
The characters
Explore individuallyIndividual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of the whole word.
Sources
This guide is original Dengdeng editorial content, offered under CC BY-SA 4.0. The linked dictionary entries adapt CC-CEDICT under the same license.