撩 — To Flirt / To Tease Romantically
What Does 撩 Mean?
To flirt actively, to make romantic moves, to tease someone into noticing you. Unlike passive attraction, 撩 implies agency and craft — you're doing something deliberate to attract attention. '撩妹' (撩 girls) and '撩汉' (撩 guys) became their own art forms with entire online guides. Someone who does it well is called 会撩 (skilled at 撩). A key word in Chinese dating culture.
Cultural Context
撩 culture emerged alongside China's dating app boom and shifted the vocabulary of romance from passive yearning to active pursuit. The word's popularity reflected changing gender dynamics — it could be used by anyone, not just men pursuing women. '撩' guides proliferated on social media, treating romantic pursuit as a learnable skill.
Similar Expressions in English
Like 'to flirt,' 'to make a move,' 'to shoot your shot,' or 'to rizz.' More deliberate than passive attraction — 撩 implies strategy and execution.
How Is It Used?
Chinese Explanation (中文解释)
指主动向心仪对象发起调情、引起注意的行为，动词用法，撩妹即对女性撩，撩汉即对男性撩。