Free Niubi! by Eveline Chao Page A

to a relationship between a Chinese person and a foreigner, or any intercultural relationship.
     
    扛洋枪 kángyángqiāng ( kahng yahng chyahng —the ah in all three syllables indicates a short a , as in “ma” or “la”)
    Literally “shoulder foreign rifles.” Used in the late nineteenth century to refer to Chinese people using items from overseas (pens, clothes, etc.) and now refers to Chinese women who date and/or sleep with foreigners.
     
    网恋 wǎngliàn ( wahng lyinn )
    Internet dating, falling in love via the Internet.
     
    师生恋 shī shēng liàn ( shih shung lyinn )
    Literally “teacher-student love.” A romantic relationship between a teacher and a student. Such relationships are extremely common in China, where it can be difficult for diligent students to meet romantic prospects.
     
    老牛吃嫩草 lǎoniú chī nèncǎo ( low new chih nun tsow )
    A relationship between two people with a large age difference. Literally, “The old cow eats fresh grass.”
     
    姐弟恋 jiědìliàn ( jyih dee lyinn )
    A relationship between an older woman and a much younger man. Literally “older sister, younger brother love.”
     
    老少恋 lǎoshàoliàn ( laow shaow lyinn )
    Love between people with a big age difference. Literally “old-young love.”
     
    忘年恋 wàngniánliàn ( wahng nyinn lyinn )
    Being in love despite age differences. Literally “forgetting-age love.”
     
    两地恋 liǎngdìliàn ( lyahng dee lyinn )
    Long-distance relationship.

Miscellaneous types
    傍大款 bàngdàkuǎn ( bahng dah kwahn )
    Literally “depend on a rich man” or “live off a rich man.” Negatively describes a woman having an intimate relationship with a wealthy man who supports her (and who may or may not be already married).
     
    味道美女 wèidào mĕinǚ ( way dow may nee )
    Hot waitress. Literally “delectable beauty.”
     
    骨头轻 gǔtóu qīng ( goo toe ching )
    Bimbo, airhead. Literally “light bones.”
     
    浪 làng ( lahng )
    Northern Chinese slang for “shallow,” “airheaded,” or “flighty” (describing women). Can also mean “to stroll” or “to wander.”
     
    绣花枕头 xìuhuā zhěntou ( show hwa jen toe )
    Literally “embroidered pillow,” meaning something or someone that is beautiful but useless.
     
    老来俏 lǎo lái qiào ( laow laow tsie )
    An older person who dresses young. Literally “[from] old to pretty.”
     
    装嫩 zhuāng nèn ( jwahng nun )
    Literally “pretending to be tender” or “faking softness” and describing someone who speaks girlishly, dresses young, and/or otherwise behaves much younger than he or she is.
     
    校花 xiàohuā ( shyaow hwa )
    Literally “school flower.” Equivalent to the head of the cheerleading team—the most popular and desired girl in school.
     
    校草 xiàocǎo ( shaow tsow —both syllables rhyme with “pow”)
    Literally “school grass.” Equivalent to the high school quarterback—the school hunk.
     
    后生 hòushēng ( ho shung )
    Young man. Literally “born later.” Used in southern China.
     
    滥情 lànqíng ( lahn cheeng )
    Something along the lines of a “romantic” crossed with a “player”—someone who loves everyone he or she sees. Said of both men and women. Literally “excessive feelings.” Can be used as an adjective too, as in 他这人挺滥情的 tā zhè rén tǐng lànqíng de ( tah juh ren ting lahn ching duh ): literally “this person really has a lot of excessive feelings” but meaning something more like “this person’s always falling in love with everyone he meets.”
     
    小白脸 xiǎobáiliǎn ( shyow buy lyinn )
    Literally “little white face.” Refers to a young, slightly effeminate or somewhat “soft”-looking man (hence the white face, which is considered an effeminate feature). May also connote that the young man depends on an older woman for money instead of working for a living.
     
    吃软饭 chī ruǎnfàn ( chih rwun fun )
    Literally