Texting & WeChat chat in Chinese 微信聊天
Wēixìn liáotiān
Send a WeChat message in Chinese is 发微信 (fā Wēi xìn).
Also searched for as: WeChat messages, texting in Chinese, text message in Chinese, DM, chat online, WeChat phrases.
Stickers, voice notes and red packets. 15 essential Texting & WeChat chat words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
WeChat, 微信 (Wēi xìn), is where most everyday chat in mainland China happens, so texting vocabulary is genuinely essential. You'll want 加微信 (jiā Wēi xìn), to add someone on WeChat, 发消息 (fā xiāo xi), to send a message, and 语音 (yǔ yīn), a voice message. Then come the social extras: 朋友圈 (péng you quān), the Moments feed, 表情包 (biǎo qíng bāo), stickers, and the 红包 (hóng bāo), a digital red packet of money.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 发消息 | fā xiāo xi | to send a message; to text |
| 加微信 | jiā Wēi xìn | to add on WeChat |
| 扫一扫 | sǎo yī sǎo | to scan (a QR code) |
| 语音 | yǔ yīn | voice message |
| 表情包 | biǎo qíng bāo | sticker; meme pack |
| 群聊 | qún liáo | group chat |
| 朋友圈 | péng you quān | Moments (WeChat feed) |
| 消息免打扰 | xiāo xi miǎn dǎ rǎo | to mute a chat |
| 秒回 | miǎo huí | to reply instantly |
| 撤回 | chè huí | to unsend (a message) |
| 红包 | hóng bāo | red packet (money gift) |
| 哈哈哈 | hā hā hā | hahaha; LOL |
| 笑死 | xiào sǐ | LOL; I'm dying (of laughter) |
| 在吗 | zài ma | you there? (opening message) |
| 晚安 | wǎn ān | good night |
Usage tips
- To add someone in person, one of you shows a QR code and the other scans it, so a very common line is 我扫你还是你扫我？ (wǒ sǎo nǐ hái shi nǐ sǎo wǒ?), shall I scan you or will you scan me?
- Opening with just 在吗 (zài ma), you there?, is common but some people find it annoying because it delays the real question → it's friendlier to send your question straight away.
- Voice messages are hugely popular, but long ones can feel like hard work for the listener, so at work many people prefer short text messages.
Common mistakes
- Using 呵呵 (hē he) for laughing: it often reads as sarcastic or dismissive, like a forced smile → for genuine laughter, type 哈哈哈 (hā hā hā).
- Saying 给你打电话 when you mean a voice message → a voice note is 给你发语音 (gěi nǐ fā yǔ yīn), and a voice call on WeChat is 语音通话 (yǔ yīn tōng huà).
Mini dialogue
- A我们加个微信吧，以后方便联系。Wǒ men jiā ge Wēi xìn ba, yǐ hòu fāng biàn lián xì.Let's add each other on WeChat so it's easy to keep in touch.
- B好啊，我扫你吧。Hǎo a, wǒ sǎo nǐ ba.Sure, I'll scan yours.
- A这是我的二维码。Zhè shì wǒ de èr wéi mǎ.Here's my QR code.
- B好了，我给你发消息了。我把你拉进我们的群聊吧。Hǎo le, wǒ gěi nǐ fā xiāo xi le. Wǒ bǎ nǐ lā jìn wǒ men de qún liáo ba.Done, I've sent you a message. I'll add you to our group chat too.
- A太好了，谢谢！Tài hǎo le, xiè xie!Brilliant, thanks!
Example sentences
- 到了给我发消息。Text me when you get there.
- 方便的话加微信聊吧。Let's add each other on WeChat and chat there.
- 你扫一扫我的二维码。Scan my QR code.
- 我在开车，给你发语音。I'm driving, I'll send you a voice message.
- 他特别喜欢发表情包。He loves sending stickers.
- 我们建个群聊吧。Let's set up a group chat.
- 你看我的朋友圈了吗？Did you see my Moments post?
- 这个群太吵了，我设了消息免打扰。This group's too noisy, I've muted it.
- 她每次都秒回。She always replies instantly.
- 你刚才撤回了什么？What did you just unsend?
- 老板在群里发红包了！The boss sent a red packet in the group!
- 哈哈哈，你太逗了！Hahaha, you're hilarious!
- 笑死，这个视频太好笑了。LOL, this video is hilarious.
- 在吗？问你个事儿。You there? Can I ask you something?
- 不早了，早点睡，晚安！It's late, get some sleep. Good night!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Texting & WeChat chat speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Texting & WeChat chat to prepare your own answers to.