‘Crispy college students’ — Phrase of the Week

Our Phrase of the Week is: Crispy college students (脆皮大学生 cuìpí dàxuéshēng).

The context

According to a survey of 2,000 college students conducted in 2023, the physical fitness and health of university students in China is getting worse each year.

The change in the lifestyles of young people is cited as a major cause for the downward trend, including long-term sleep deprivation, unhealthy eating habits, and irregular schedules.

“Involution” (内卷 nèijuǎn) from intense competition among students means that young people are pushed to their limits, causing some to give up, or “lie flat” (躺平 tǎngpíng). The two have been popular buzzwords in recent years, describing the pressures of life for young people in China.

Now a new buzzword has emerged: The term “crispy college students” (脆皮大学生 cuìpí dàxuéshēng) has been gaining popularity as a hashtag linked to stories shared by students online.

These stories recount unusual injuries, such as:

“I had to go to the hospital for heart issues because I got so angry when my adviser didn’t approve my leave”; or “I twisted my neck when I stretched”; or “I tried not to laugh, and it caused my nasal artery to rupture.”

The phrase “crispy college students” is trending online, which has attracted lots of attention and discussions.

“因辅导员不批假气到心脏疼住院” “我伸个懒腰，脖子扭了”“憋笑致鼻动脉破裂。”

“脆皮大学生”走红网络，引发广泛关注与讨论。

Yīn fǔdǎoyuán bù pījià qìdào xīnzàng téng zhùyuàn”, “wǒ shēngelǎnyāo, bózi niǔle,” “biēxiào zhì bídòngmài pòliè.

“Cuìpí dàxuéshēng” zǒuhóng wǎngluò, yǐnfā guǎngfàn guānzhù yǔ tǎolùn.

And with that, we have our Phrase of the Week!

What it means

The phrase is made up of two parts: “crispy skin” (脆皮 cuìpí) and “college students” (大学生 dàxuéshēng).

“Crispy skin” is a term originally from the gaming world in China. It describes a player with low health, low defense, and low magic resistance, making them easy to defeat in a game.

In team games, “crispy” players are easy targets for the enemy. There is normally one such player in every team: They have weaker capabilities and limited armor. But, with the right protection from their teammates, “crispies” can also lead teams to victory.

The phrase “crispy college students” is a nod to the gaming reference, meaning university students have poor health, are weak, and are easily injured.

But it’s used in a self-deprecating and humorous way, often with the students referring to themselves as “crispy” and sharing images of their strange injuries online as a light-hearted way to deal with the stresses of life.

Another way to translate the phrase is: “Students who appear tough on the outside but are fragile inside.”