fán'ěrsài: 凡尔赛 - Humblebrag, To Flex (Slang)

• Keywords: 凡尔赛, fanersai, Versailles literature, humblebrag Chinese, Chinese slang, showing off Chinese, fán'ěrsài, flexing in China, online Chinese culture, modern Mandarin, Chinese social media.
• Summary: Learn the modern Chinese internet slang term 凡尔赛 (fán'ěrsài), which means “to humblebrag” or “flex”. Discover how this word, which literally translates to “Versailles,” evolved into a cultural phenomenon describing the art of showing off wealth, success, or a privileged lifestyle under the guise of a complaint or casual remark. This comprehensive guide provides the cultural context, practical examples of “Versailles Literature,” and related terms essential for understanding contemporary Chinese online culture.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fán'ěrsài
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb, Adjective (slang usage)
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: To show off one's privileged life in an indirect and pretentious way, often by framing it as a complaint or a problem.
• In a Nutshell: While 凡尔赛 (fán'ěrsài) literally refers to the magnificent Palace of Versailles in France, its modern slang meaning has nothing to do with French history. In Chinese internet culture, it describes a specific type of “humblebrag.” It's not just bragging; it's an art form. Someone is being “凡尔赛” when they subtly show off their wealth, talent, or happiness by complaining about it or mentioning it in a very roundabout, “woe is me” fashion. Think of it as “first-world problems” used specifically to make others envious.

• 凡 (fán): A character that can mean “ordinary” or “all.”
• 尔 (ěr): An archaic or literary character for “you.”
• 赛 (sài): A character meaning “to compete” or “match.”

These characters were chosen purely for their phonetic value to transliterate the French word “Versailles.” Their individual meanings have no connection to the slang term. The modern meaning comes entirely from the association with the opulence, luxury, and aristocratic lifestyle of the Palace of Versailles, particularly as depicted in the popular Japanese manga The Rose of Versailles.

The term 凡尔赛 became viral in China around 2020, popularized by a Weibo blogger who emulated the lifestyle depicted in The Rose of Versailles. She would post about her luxurious life, but always framed as a complaint or a minor inconvenience, which users found both amusing and cringeworthy. This practice was humorously dubbed “Versailles Literature” (凡尔赛文学, fán'ěrsài wénxué). The term perfectly captures a social tension in modern China. With rising prosperity, there is a desire to display one's success, but traditional Chinese values often prize humility and modesty (低调, dīdiào). 凡尔赛 is the awkward, and often transparent, attempt to bridge that gap—to show off without looking like you're showing off. Compared to the American concept of a “humblebrag,” 凡尔赛 is often more elaborate and theatrical. A humblebrag might be a single sentence, like “Ugh, so tired from my two-week vacation in Italy.” A 凡尔赛 statement is often a short story, complete with feigned emotion and trivial details designed to highlight the main point of luxury. It’s a performance of nonchalance.

凡尔赛 is an extremely informal slang term used almost exclusively on social media and in casual conversations, especially among younger generations. It carries a mocking, sarcastic, or humorous tone.

• As a Verb: “To humblebrag”
  • e.g., 你别凡尔赛了！ (Nǐ bié fán'ěrsài le!) - Stop humblebragging!
• As a Noun: The act or style of humblebragging
  • e.g., 她发的这个朋友圈也太凡尔赛了。(Tā fā de zhège péngyǒuquān yě tài fán'ěrsài le.) - That social media post she made is such a humblebrag.
• As an Adjective: Describing a person or statement as being in the humblebrag style.
  • e.g., 他这个人很凡尔赛。(Tā zhège rén hěn fán'ěrsài.) - He is a very pretentious/humblebragging person.

• Example 1:
  • 我老公又给我买了个爱马仕的包，颜色我不是很喜欢，但毕竟是他的一片心意，哎，真不知道该怎么办。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ lǎogōng yòu gěi wǒ mǎile ge Àimǎshì de bāo, yánsè wǒ búshì hěn xǐhuān, dàn bìjìng shì tā de yí piàn xīnyì, āi, zhēn bù zhīdào gāi zěnme bàn.
  • English: My husband bought me another Hermès bag, and I don't really like the color. But it's the thought that counts, I guess. Ugh, I really don't know what to do with it.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of 凡尔赛. The speaker complains about a minor detail (the color) to draw attention to the major flex (owning multiple expensive Hermès bags).
• Example 2:
  • 今天保姆请假了，没办法，只好自己打扫这500平米的别墅，累死我了。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān bǎomǔ qǐngjià le, méi bànfǎ, zhǐhǎo zìjǐ dǎsǎo zhè wǔbǎi píngmǐ de biéshù, lèi sǐ wǒ le.
  • English: The housekeeper took the day off today, so I had no choice but to clean this 500-square-meter villa by myself. I'm exhausted.
  • Analysis: The complaint about being tired is a vehicle to casually mention the impressive size of her house.
• Example 3:
  • 你别再凡尔赛了，我们都知道你考试又拿了第一名。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bié zài fán'ěrsài le, wǒmen dōu zhīdào nǐ kǎoshì yòu nále dì-yī míng.
  • English: Stop humblebragging, we all know you got first place on the exam again.
  • Analysis: Here, 凡尔赛 is used as a verb to call someone out on their behavior. The person was likely complaining about how “hard” the test was or how they “didn't study.”
• Example 4:
  • 他的朋友圈充满了凡尔赛文学。
  • Pinyin: Tā de péngyǒuquān chōngmǎnle fán'ěrsài wénxué.
  • English: His social media feed is full of “Versailles Literature” (i.e., humblebrags).
  • Analysis: This uses the full, original meme phrase “凡尔赛文学” to describe the style of content.
• Example 5:
  • 我今天就小小地凡尔赛一下：刚毕业就拿到了三个大厂的offer，好纠结，不知道该去哪个。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān jiù xiǎoxiǎo de fán'ěrsài yíxià: gāng bìyè jiù nádàole sān ge dà chǎng de offer, hǎo jiūjié, bù zhīdào gāi qù nǎge.
  • English: Let me just have a little humblebrag moment: I just graduated and already got offers from three major tech companies. It's so stressful, I don't know which one to choose.
  • Analysis: This is a self-aware, humorous use of the term. The speaker openly admits they are about to 凡尔赛, which softens the bragging and turns it into a joke.
• Example 6:
  • 唉，又被哈佛录取了，这下不能和我的好朋友去耶鲁了，真烦恼。
  • Pinyin: Āi, yòu bèi Hāfó lùqǔ le, zhèxià bùnéng hé wǒ de hǎo péngyǒu qù Yēlǔ le, zhēn fánnǎo.
  • English: Ugh, I got accepted into Harvard. Now I can't go to Yale with my best friend. So annoying.
  • Analysis: The feigned sadness about being separated from a friend is used to announce an incredible achievement (getting into Harvard).
• Example 7:
  • 这辆新买的保时捷减震太硬了，坐着真不舒服，还不如我那辆奔驰。
  • Pinyin: Zhè liàng xīn mǎi de Bǎoshíjié jiǎnzhèn tài yìng le, zuòzhe zhēn bù shūfu, hái bùrú wǒ nà liàng Bēnchí.
  • English: The suspension on this new Porsche is too stiff, it's really not comfortable to ride in. It's not as good as my other Mercedes-Benz.
  • Analysis: This sentence criticizes a luxury item (Porsche) only to compare it to another luxury item (Mercedes), showing that the speaker owns both.
• Example 8:
  • 这人说话太凡尔赛了，听得我浑身难受。
  • Pinyin: Zhè rén shuōhuà tài fán'ěrsài le, tīngde wǒ húnshēn nánshòu.
  • English: The way this person talks is so pretentious/full of humblebrags, it makes me cringe.
  • Analysis: Here, 凡尔赛 is used as an adjective to describe a person's style of speaking. It conveys a feeling of annoyance or cringing.
• Example 9:
  • 每次出国都要倒时差，感觉身体被掏空。
  • Pinyin: Měi cì chūguó dōu yào dǎo shíchā, gǎnjué shēntǐ bèi tāokōng.
  • English: Every time I travel internationally I have to deal with jet lag. I feel so drained.
  • Analysis: A common complaint (jet lag) is used to signal a lifestyle of frequent international travel.
• Example 10:
  • 我真的对长相很自卑，为什么大家都说我长得像吴彦祖呢？
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhēnde duì zhǎngxiàng hěn zìbēi, wèishénme dàjiā dōu shuō wǒ zhǎngde xiàng Wú Yànzǔ ne?
  • English: I'm honestly really insecure about my looks. Why does everyone say I look like Daniel Wu?
  • Analysis: A perfect example of fishing for compliments under the guise of insecurity. The flex is being compared to a famously handsome celebrity.

• Literal vs. Slang Meaning: The most common mistake is confusing the slang with the literal place. If the context is history, art, or travel to France, 凡尔赛 means the Palace of Versailles. If the context is social media, someone's personality, or a specific statement, it's the slang for humblebrag.
• 凡尔赛 (fán'ěrsài) vs. 炫耀 (xuànyào): These are not the same.
  • 炫耀 (xuànyào) is direct, straightforward bragging. “Look at my new Rolex!”
  • 凡尔赛 (fán'ěrsài) is indirect, roundabout, and performative. “Ugh, this new Rolex is so heavy on my wrist, it's kind of distracting.” The key is the attempt to hide the brag inside a complaint or a seemingly unrelated story.
• Incorrect Usage: You cannot use 凡尔赛 to describe an object itself.
  • Incorrect: 这块手表很凡尔赛。(Zhè kuài shǒubiǎo hěn fán'ěrsài.) - This watch is very Versailles.
  • Correct: 他戴着那块手表说话的样子很凡尔赛。(Tā dàizhe nà kuài shǒubiǎo shuōhuà de yàngzi hěn fán'ěrsài.) - The way he talks while wearing that watch is very humblebraggy.

• 炫耀 (xuànyào) - To show off, to flaunt. This is direct bragging and lacks the subtlety and performative complaint of 凡尔赛.
• 装逼 (zhuāng bī) - (Vulgar) To be pretentious; to act like a big shot. A much broader and cruder term for showing off. 凡尔赛 can be seen as a specific, more “refined” subtype of 装逼.
• 低调 (dīdiào) - Low-key, modest, understated. The direct antonym of the behavior described by 凡尔赛.
• 土豪 (tǔháo) - Nouveau riche; someone with new money but perceived as lacking taste. A 土豪 is more likely to 炫耀 directly.
• 凡学 (fánxué) - “Versailles-ology.” A joking term for the study of the art of humblebragging.
• 凡尔赛文学 (fán'ěrsài wénxué) - “Versailles Literature.” The specific genre of social media posts or texts that perfectly exemplify the 凡尔赛 style.
• 晒 (shài) - Lit. “to bask in the sun.” Online slang for sharing or showing something off (e.g., photos, a new purchase). It can be neutral sharing or a form of showing off.