【Buzzword】 柠檬精 Níngméng jīng
Lemon monster 柠檬精 Níngméng jīng

“ 柠檬精 Níngméng jīng ” is made up of “柠檬” and “精” . “柠檬” corresponds lemon in English and “精” corresponds monster in English. The word refers to people who are jealous of others. Now, it has become a way of self-mockery, which is used to express the multiple envy of others from appearance to inner, material life to emotional life.

Lemon tastes sour, which is consistent with the “sour feeling in your heart” when you are jealous of others. Therefore, the word was originally used on others to mock them, and its meaning is similar to “jealous”. Recently, its derogatory sense has been weakening. Sometimes it is used for self mockery to express envy for others, appearance or talent, or material conditions or emotional life.

“I’m a lemon monster” is equivalent to “I envy.” Sometimes it’s also called “I’m lemon” or “I’m sour”, which means the same thing. Besides, there is a term “sweet and sour lemon monster”, which is often used to describe the complex feelings of sweet and sour in heart because of others’ romantic love .

Example:
1.Wǒ de ǒuxiàng huífùle biérén de pínglùn, wǒ zhēnshi níngméng jīng le.
我的偶像回复了别人的评论,我真是柠檬精了。
My idol replied to other people’s comments, which made me very jealous.
2.Bié lǎo shì shuōhuà nàme suān, gēn gè níngméng jīng shì de.
别老是说话那么酸,跟个柠檬精似的。
Don’t speak sourly, like a lemon monster.
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