尬

gà

Awkward / cringe — describes an uncomfortable, secondhand-embarrassment situation.

Origin

Short for 尴尬 (awkward). Became popular shorthand in text messages and social media posts.

Examples

That conversation was so 尬.

好尬啊，不知道说什么好。(So awkward, I don't know what to say.)

Related terms

红温

hóng wēn

Literally 'red temperature' — slang for losing emotional control, getting so angry, frustrated, agitated, or embarrassed that your face flushes red; the closest English equivalent is gaming's 'getting tilted.'

绝绝子

jué jué zǐ

Absolutely amazing / Absolutely terrible — an emphatic expression that can be positive or negative depending on context.

社死

shè sǐ

Social death — an extremely embarrassing moment that makes you want to disappear.

EMO/emo

emo

Feeling down, sad, or melancholic — used when experiencing a wave of negative emotions.