What's the Most “狗血 Dog Bloo d” Movie You've Ever Seen?

There are some Mandarin Chinese words that just don't have an exact equivalent in English. Because when it comes to slang, there are a lot of hidden meanings behind each and every word. And you really have to know the full meaning to be able to use it correctly in any sentence.

Whenever I introduce a new Chinese slang word to my students, I make sure to give them a thorough background of it, so they are better equipped to use it correctly in daily conversation.

One of my favorite Mandarin slang words is: "狗血 (gǒuxiě)"
In daily life, "狗血 (gǒuxiě)" is used commonly by youth. Many Mandarin Language teachers also use the word when talking about study topics such as TV dramas, internet slang, etc. with their Chinese language students.

What does it mean?
"狗血 (gǒuxiě)" means absurd, exaggerated, ridiculous, contrived. When we breakdown the characters, we get:

狗 (gǒu): n. dog.
血 (xiě): n. blood.

Examples:
Zhè bù diànshìjù zhēn gǒuxiě.
这 部 电视剧 真 狗血。
This drama is ridiculous.

Zhè jiàn shìqing tài gǒuxiě.
这 件 事情 太 狗血。
This thing is too absurd.

Origin
It is said that the word originated in the 1990s, when the Hong Kong and Taiwanese films were popular in the television industry.

In those Hong Kong TV Series, there was a scene repeated over and over again in many of the films. It always looked the same: A person would sprinkle the "狗血 (gǒuxiě) dog blood" to drive …Read More

I have only lived in China as a Mandarin Chinese student for a little over a year now, but I have learned that things in China move and change fast. The trains zip by fast, the buildings are constructed almost overnight, Internet slang comes and goes, and the fashion changes each season. Just as I get used to something here, everything suddenly changes. Eventually, trends will become obsolete and out-of-date, or as I've learned to say in Mandarin Chinese, "老掉牙 (lǎodiàoyá)".

Today I will teach you about this popular Chinese word to express that something has been replaced by the latest style, trend, or construction. Perhaps the old airport has been replaced by a shiny, modern bigger airport. Maybe last year's winter coat isn't on the cover of fashion magazines. It's unfortunate when something loses its cool, but "老掉牙 (lǎodiàoyá)" is good to know when discussing the differences between old and new.

老掉牙 (lǎodiàoyá) = old; corny; out of date; obsolete.

老 = (an adjective) for "old", often used to describe people.
掉 = (a verb) meaning to drop; to fall.
牙 = (a noun) a tooth.

"老掉牙 (lǎodiàoyá)" literally describes the image of someone that is very old and whose teeth have fallen out. Yuck. Therefore, we use this phrase to describe something that is out-of-date and no longer fresh and "cool". It has a negative feeling, unlike ...Read More

Quiz:

A. The cast of your favorite movie reunites for one more film.
B. A classic book that never gets old and is always popular in stores.
C. The old train that is still running even after the new High-Speed train opens between Beijing and Shanghai.
D. Your favorite food since you were a child.
See Answer