搭子

A '搭子' is your designated partner for one specific activity — your lunch buddy, your gym buddy, your 'someone to complain about work with' buddy. Unlike a full friend, a 搭子 relationship carries zero emotional maintenance costs. You grab bubble tea together, you part ways, no one texts at midnight about their feelings. It's friendship with terms and conditions, and Gen-Z is absolutely here for it.

As young Chinese urbanites face intense work pressure and increasingly transactional social lives, deep friendships feel expensive to maintain. The 搭子 concept acknowledges that not every connection needs to be profound — sometimes you just need someone reliable for a specific slice of life. It reflects a pragmatic, low-stakes approach to socializing that resonates strongly with post-pandemic loneliness and busy schedules.

搭子指专门一起做某件事的伙伴，关系介于朋友和陌生人之间，轻松无负担。