Learn the legendary way to reply!

“神回复 (shén huífù) legendary reply” is a term you may not be familiar with, although you may have done it yourself! “神回复 (shén huífù) legendary reply,” is an Internet slang term that refers to an extremely creative and funny comment on social networking sites.

Let’s break down this new phrase!

The first word is “神 (shén).” This word typically means “god,” but in some cases can be used to mean smart or funny. The second word is “回复 (huífù).” This word means “to reply” to someone. So together “神回复 (shén huífù) means to give a godly reply to someone’s question.

This term is a popular internet slang word and can be used anytime someone goes beyond the expected response to a question. Usually a “神回复 (shén huífù)” gets a big laugh!

A: Nǐ wèishénme zhème hēi?
A: 你    为什么      这么   黑？
A: Why is your skin so tan?

B: Yīnwèi wǒ bù xiǎng bái huó yíbèizi.
B: 因为    我   不   想     白  活   一辈子。
B: Because I don’t want to waste my life.

In this example, the character “黑 (hēi)” is an adjective which means black or tan and the character “白 (bái)” can be used as an adjective or as an adverb. In its adjective form it describes something that is the color white. But, as an adverb it describes something that is a “waste of effort” or “in vain.” So in this example “白 (bái)” is used as an adverb. Normally, one would respond in a different manner than this, perhaps explaining that the sun is very bright. Here the answer is  “我不想白活一辈子 (wǒ bù xiǎng bái huó yíbèizi)!” It sounds very funny and unexpected, so we call it a “神回复 (shén huífù)!”

Quiz:

1. What does the term “神回复 (shén huífù)” mean?
A. Legendary reply
B. Correct reply
C. Incorrect reply
D. Sarcastic reply
See Answer Analysis