River crab (Internet slang)
Encyclopedia
River crab and Harmonious/Harmonize/Harmonization are Internet slangs created by Chinese
netizen
s in reference to Internet censorship
or the other censorship
of China. In Chinese Mandarin
, the word "River crab" (河蟹), which originally means Chinese mitten crab
, sounds similar to "Harmonious/Harmonize/Harmonization" in the word "Harmonious society
" (和谐社会), Chinese leader Hu Jintao
's signature ideology.
as the reason for censorship, Chinese netizens began to use the word "Harmonious/Harmonize/Harmonization" (和谐) as a euphemism for censorship when the word for censorship itself was censored. And when the word "Harmonious" began to be censored, Chinese netizens began to use the word for "River crab".
Sometimes Aquatic product is used in place of "River crab". They are also used as verbs, for example, instead of saying something has been censored, one might say "it has been harmonized" or "it has been river-crabbed" . In some BBSs
, "Harmonious" is a censored word, so netizens use "River crab" instead.
In Taiwan
, more and more people know about the meaning of "River crab" as Internet slang. Some people dislike the government of Mainland China, and may refer to it as Drinking blood , a near homophone of "Harmonious".
A well-known picture usually named River crab society, three wearing watches (河蟹社会，三个戴表) illustrates the slang "River crab". In the picture, the three wristwatches refer to the Three Represents
, where the Mandarin expressions used for "represent" and "Wearing watch(es)" are homophone
s. An offensive term "Foolish prostitute" is also used by anti-Communist Chinese people.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
netizen
Netizen
The term Netizen is a portmanteau of the English words internet and citizen. It is defined as an entity or person actively involved in online communities and a user of the internet, especially an avid one. The term can also imply an interest in improving the internet, especially in regard to open...
s in reference to Internet censorship
Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China
Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China is conducted under a wide variety of laws and administrative regulations. There are no specific laws or regulations which the censorship follows...
or the other censorship
Censorship in the People's Republic of China
Censorship in the People's Republic of China is implemented or mandated by the PRC's ruling party, the Communist Party of China . The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have their own legal systems and are largely self-governing, so these censorship policies do not apply...
of China. In Chinese Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, the word "River crab" (河蟹), which originally means Chinese mitten crab
Chinese mitten crab
The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis is a medium-sized burrowing crab, named for its furry claws that look like mittens, that is native in the coastal estuaries of eastern Asia from Korea in the north to the Fujian province of China in the south...
, sounds similar to "Harmonious/Harmonize/Harmonization" in the word "Harmonious society
Harmonious society
The construction of a Harmonious Society is a socio-economic vision that is said to be the ultimate end result of Chinese leader Hu Jintao's signature ideology of the Scientific Development Concept. It serves as the ultimate goal for the ruling Communist Party of China along with Xiaokang society,...
" (和谐社会), Chinese leader Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
's signature ideology.
Terms
Since the Chinese Communist Party announced the goal of constructing a "Harmonious Society" in 2004, usually cited by the government of ChinaGovernment of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
as the reason for censorship, Chinese netizens began to use the word "Harmonious/Harmonize/Harmonization" (和谐) as a euphemism for censorship when the word for censorship itself was censored. And when the word "Harmonious" began to be censored, Chinese netizens began to use the word for "River crab".
Sometimes Aquatic product is used in place of "River crab". They are also used as verbs, for example, instead of saying something has been censored, one might say "it has been harmonized" or "it has been river-crabbed" . In some BBSs
Bulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
, "Harmonious" is a censored word, so netizens use "River crab" instead.
In Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, more and more people know about the meaning of "River crab" as Internet slang. Some people dislike the government of Mainland China, and may refer to it as Drinking blood , a near homophone of "Harmonious".
| Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into... |
English Translation | Passive voiceMandarin Chinese-speakers add a "被" (bèi) before a verb to construct a passive voice. See: Voice (grammar)#Passive in topic-prominent languages. | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | héxié shèhuì | Harmonious society Harmonious society The construction of a Harmonious Society is a socio-economic vision that is said to be the ultimate end result of Chinese leader Hu Jintao's signature ideology of the Scientific Development Concept. It serves as the ultimate goal for the ruling Communist Party of China along with Xiaokang society,... |
||||
| Internet slang | héxié | Harmonious/Harmonize/Harmonization | 被和谐 (be harmonized) | Used as an euphemism alluding to the censorship of China Censorship in the People's Republic of China Censorship in the People's Republic of China is implemented or mandated by the PRC's ruling party, the Communist Party of China . The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have their own legal systems and are largely self-governing, so these censorship policies do not apply... |
||
| Internet slang | héxiè | River crab | 被河蟹 (be river-crabbed) | Homophone of "和谐" (héxié, Harmonious) | ||
| Internet slang | hēxiě or hēxuè | Drinking blood | Homophone of "和谐" (héxié, Harmonious); Used in Taiwan but rarely in Mainland China | |||
| Internet slang | shuǐchǎn | Aquatic product | 被水产 (be aquatic-producted) | Allusion and a replacement of "河蟹" (River crab) | ||
A well-known picture usually named River crab society, three wearing watches (河蟹社会，三个戴表) illustrates the slang "River crab". In the picture, the three wristwatches refer to the Three Represents
Three Represents
The Three Represents is a socio-political ideology credited to General Secretary Jiang Zemin which became a guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China at its Sixteenth Party Congress in 2002....
, where the Mandarin expressions used for "represent" and "Wearing watch(es)" are homophone
Homophone
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose , or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms...
s. An offensive term "Foolish prostitute" is also used by anti-Communist Chinese people.
| Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | sān gè dàibiǎo | Three Represents Three Represents The Three Represents is a socio-political ideology credited to General Secretary Jiang Zemin which became a guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China at its Sixteenth Party Congress in 2002.... |
|||
| Internet slang | dài biǎo | Wearing watch(es) | Homophone of "代表" (dàibiǎo, Represents) | ||
| Internet slang | dāi biǎo | Foolish prostitute | Homophone of "代表" (dàibiǎo, Represents); Very offensive | ||
See also
- Internet censorship in the People's Republic of ChinaInternet censorship in the People's Republic of ChinaInternet censorship in the People's Republic of China is conducted under a wide variety of laws and administrative regulations. There are no specific laws or regulations which the censorship follows...
- List of Internet phenomena in the People's Republic of China
- Golden Shield ProjectGolden Shield ProjectThe Golden Shield Project , colloquially referred to as the Great Firewall of China is a censorship and surveillance project operated by the Ministry of Public Security division of the government of the People's Republic of China...
- Baidu 10 Mythical Creatures (Internet meme)Baidu 10 Mythical Creatures (Internet meme)The Baidu 10 Mythical Creatures , alternatively Ten Baidu Deities, was initially a humorous hoax from the interactive encyclopedia Baidu Baike which became a popular and widespread Internet meme in the People's Republic of China in early 2009....
- Grass Mud HorseGrass Mud HorseThe Grass Mud Horse or Cao Ní Ma is a Chinese Internet meme widely used as a form of symbolic defiance of the widespread Internet censorship in China. It is a play on the Mandarin language words "fuck your mother", and one of the so-called 10 mythical creatures created in a hoax article on Baidu...
- Very erotic very violentVery erotic very violentVery erotic very violent is a Chinese internet meme that originated from a news report on China Central Television's flagship Xinwen Lianbo program allegedly quoting a schoolgirl describing a web page...