Nearly half respondents worry buzzwords contaminate Chinese language   

超6成受訪者認為網絡流行語入侵漢語現象嚴重

上周，中國青年報社會調查中心通過民意中國網和問卷網，對1601人進行的一項調查顯示，89.8%的受訪者日常生活中會使用網絡流行語。64.2%的受訪者認為當下網絡流行語入侵漢語現象嚴重，46.0%的受訪者擔心會污染漢語。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) -- More than 64 percent of people think popular words on social networking sites are invading the Chinese language, with 46 percent worrying that they would pollute the language, according to a survey by China Youth Daily.

Among 1,601 respondents to the survey on the use and impact of Internet buzzwords, more than 45 percent were from the post-80s generation, with the post-90s generation accounting for only 22 percent.

"萌萌噠" (mengmengda), meaning "adorably cute", is the most widely used catchphrase, according to the survey. It was followed by "有錢 任性" (youqian renxing), literally meaning "rich and willful", a phrase used to describe someone with careless spending habits and who tends to be wasteful with money.

Buzzwords are a reflection of contemporary society where netizens and citizens meet and meld. Some reflect new trends taking place in Chinese society, but some are taboo, such as "屌絲" (diaosi), meaning a "loser" lacking good looks, wealth and social resources.

These phrases pose a threat to the development of the Chinese language, Zhang Huaiqiong, a member of Shanghai People's Political Consultative Committee, was quoted as saying.

However, Chinese writer Li Mingsheng is not pessimistic about the development of Chinese, saying that he believes that people are able to tell if the language is beautiful or not. He added that some buzzwords are creative and display a good sense of humor, which will enrich Chinese culture.

Chen Manhua, a professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said an initiative should be launched to bring language experts together to paraphrase these buzzwords in order to promote the healthy development of the Chinese language.