REAL INTERNET CHINESE
a vegetable
bad at something, weak at the game, the honest opposite of skilled
- Who can you say it to?
- Friends and coworkers Normal among people your own age. Skip it with elders, clients and officials.
- Out loud, or only typed?
- Say it or type it Works out loud and in chat.
- Is it still used?
- Settled in Past the fad stage, part of everyday speech.
When to say it
You whiff the open goal, lose to the tutorial boss, burn the instant noodles. You call yourself this before anyone else can: self-deprecation as armor. Between friends it invites coaching; from a stranger it is an insult. Also used to trash-talk a rival team, lovingly or not.
Hear it in the wild
Wǒ tài cài le, jiāojiāo wǒ hǎo ma?
I'm so bad at this, can you teach me?
Bié guài wǒ, wǒ běnlái jiù hěn cài.
Don't blame me, I've always been terrible.
Quick answers
What does 菜 mean?
bad at something, weak at the game, the honest opposite of skilled
When do people say 菜?
You whiff the open goal, lose to the tutorial boss, burn the instant noodles. You call yourself this before anyone else can: self-deprecation as armor. Between friends it invites coaching; from a stranger it is an insult. Also used to trash-talk a rival team, lovingly or not.
When should you not say 菜?
Aiming it at yourself is charming; calling someone else bad at something uninvited starts fights.
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