One of the things that worried me most, and still gives me some trouble, was not knowing what the heck people were saying, or how to say things appropriately without sticking out like a sore thumb. So I'm here to help y'all! Here you'll learn about basic Chinese internet terminology, especially pertaining to vocalsynths.
(If you have something to contribute, don't hesitate! I'll add it in ASAP.)
First, some resources!
- To start out, this is a very extensive and helpful guide I've found! I keep it bookmarked and handy and it's helped me out a lot.
- Also, when I need to translate something, this website is my go-to. The translator itself isn't much more accurate than Google Translate, but scroll down and you'll be given a word-by-word translation, which might help you better piece things together. However, it's a literal dictionary, meaning if you enter a slang term, especially if it's obscure outside of an internet setting, it's likely to miss it.
- I'll keep this updated as I find more good resources.
Now, to warm up, let's look at some common Chinese translations of non-Chinese vocalsynths! We're on a vocalsynth forum, are we not?
- 初音未来 (Chūyīn Wèilái)- Hatsune Miku. That one's easy, since it's also the official name of her Chinese voicebank.
- 镜音铃 (Jìngyīn Líng) / 镜音连 (Jìngyīn Lián) / 镜音双子 (Jìngyīn Shuāngzǐ) - Kagamine Rin / Kagamine Len / Kagamine Rin and Len (lit. Kagamine Gemini)
- 巡音流歌 (Xúnyīn Liúgē) - Megurine Luka
- 神威乐步 (Shénwēi Lèbù) - Kamui Gakupo
Next, some basic terms you'll see and use in many vocalsynth videos:
- 曲 (Qū) - Song
- 原创 (Yuánchuàng) - Original
- 翻唱 (Fānchàng) - Cover
- 翻调 (Fāndiào) - It means the same thing, though it appears this is meant more for vocal synth covers, while "fānchàng" is more for people singing songs themselves.
- 试听 (Shìtīng) - Demo (though Google will translate it as "Audition." Yes, it sounds kinda like "Shitting.")
- 原作 (Yuánzuò) - Original work. Used to give credit to the creator of a song when posting a cover (ex. 原作: ilem ft. 洛天依 - "Original: ilem ft. Luo Tianyi")
- 调 (Tiáo) - Musical blend/mix (as in, the way vocals in a song sound)
- 调教 (Tiáojiào) - Tuning (Google Translate will tell you it means either "Training" or "Femdom." I assure you, it doesn't. Probably.)
- 混音 (Hǔnyīn) - Audio mixing
What about MMD? How do I credit in Chinese?
Actually, from what I've seen (and I've seen a lot; MMD is very popular on Bili), most credits are given in English. So I wouldn't worry too hard about finding the right thing to say in Chinese, because even Chinese users use English there!
That said, if you WANT to know how to give credit in Chinese, here's what I've found:
- 模型 (Móxíng) - Model
- 场景 (Chǎngjǐng) - Scene/Stage
- 动画 (Dònghuà) - Animation
- 动作 (Dòngzuò) - Motion
Now, onto some common terms and slang!
- 2333 - LOL. It's similar to Nico's www. Increasing the number of 3s indicates a heavier laugh (2333: LOL, 2333333333333333: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL)
- 好听 (Hǎotīng) - "This sounds great!" (lit. "Good listen") The people of Bili are quite friendly, so if you post vocalsynth content, you'll likely see this one a lot.
Point in case.
- 好棒 (Hǎobàng) - "This is excellent!" (lit. "Good wonderful")
- 挺不错的 (Tǐng bùcuò de) - "This is pretty good!" (lit. "Very not bad")
- 赞 (Zàn) - Like. People might comment the word, but you're more likely to see it when Bili informs you of your videos gaining likes (X 人赞了我的视频 - "X (number of people) liked my video")
- 喜欢 (Xǐhuan) - Another way to say "Like"
- 哇哦 (Waó) - "Wow!"
- 酱 (Jiàng) - Chan/Kun. A loanword from Japanese ("Jiàng" sounds similar to "Chan"), used at the ends of names, often the names of characters one likes (ex. 连酱 - Len-kun)
- 爬 (Pá) - Sichuan dialect word for "Rolling" (lit. "Climb"). Indicates a pleasant, floating, free-moving feeling (爬~爬~爬~ - "Lalala~")
- 单身狗 / 單身狗 (Dānshēn gǒu) - a person who's single, usually not because they want to be (lit. "Single dog"). I don't suppose this one's highly common, but someone (indirectly but very accurately) called me this on one of my videos, and I just think it's great.
- apparently, this is a term of praise for a person who produces something well (给摄影师加鸡腿 - "Give the photographer some chicken legs!") It's usually used for people who produce erotic or seductive content, but given the video I got such a comment on had no sexy content whatsoever, I'd guess it's also just used as a way of saying "You did great! Have some chicken." (Thank you @dreamsbrisk! I've been wondering about that for weeks now.)
- 加油 (Jiāyóu) - "Whoo!" (lit. "to accelerate") It's used to cheer someone on or encourage them, especially for a job well done.
- 可以 (Kěyǐ) - "Pretty good!"
- i了 - "I loved it!" (It's a play on “爱了” (Àile) - "I" and "爱" are pronounced the same.)
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