REAL INTERNET CHINESE
an i person or an e person
introvert or extrovert, borrowed from a personality test and worn as an identity
- Who can you say it to?
- Safe with anyone Fine at work, fine with your partner's parents.
- 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
Two letters from the Myers-Briggs test, stripped of the science, kept as a badge. 'I'm an i person' excuses leaving the party at nine; 'total e person' explains adopting strangers on a train. Team-building rosters, dating profiles and name tags carry it now. Claim yours freely; guessing others' is a party game.
Hear it in the wild
Wǒ shì i rén, tuánjiàn xiǎng zuò jiǎoluò.
I'm an i person, at team building I want the corner seat.
Tóngshì dōu shì e rén, jiù wǒ yí gè i rén.
My coworkers are all e people, I'm the only i person here.
Quick answers
What does i人/e人 mean?
introvert or extrovert, borrowed from a personality test and worn as an identity
When do people say i人/e人?
Two letters from the Myers-Briggs test, stripped of the science, kept as a badge. 'I'm an i person' excuses leaving the party at nine; 'total e person' explains adopting strangers on a train. Team-building rosters, dating profiles and name tags carry it now. Claim yours freely; guessing others' is a party game.
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