nèijuǎn: 内卷 - Involution, Rat Race

• Keywords: neijuan, 内卷, involution, rat race, Chinese competition, what is neijuan, neijuan meaning, hyper-competition, pointless competition, 996 culture, lying flat, tang ping, Chinese slang
• Summary: Understand “内卷 (nèijuǎn)”, the viral Chinese slang term for “involution” or a “pointless rat race.” This entry explains why young Chinese people feel trapped in a cycle of hyper-competition in work and education, where everyone works harder just to stay in the same place. Learn its cultural context, how it differs from simple “hard work,” and how it gave rise to the “lying flat” (躺平) movement.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): nèijuǎn
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A process of intense internal competition where increased effort does not lead to better outcomes, only preventing one from falling behind.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine ten people applying for one job. At first, they just submit a resume. Then one person adds a portfolio. Soon, everyone needs a portfolio. Then one person gets an extra certificate, so everyone else does too. In the end, they are all far more qualified and exhausted, but there is still only one job. That feeling of pointless, escalating competition is 内卷 (nèijuǎn). It's a social treadmill where everyone is running faster and faster, but no one is actually getting ahead.

• 内 (nèi): Inside, internal, within.
• 卷 (juǎn): To roll, to curl, a scroll.

When combined, 内卷 (nèijuǎn) literally means “to roll inward.” This is a powerful metaphor. Instead of a system expanding outward with growth and new opportunities, it has stalled and begins to “roll inward” on itself. The energy and effort of the people inside are not creating new value but are simply consumed in a zero-sum game against each other.

• From Anthropology to Internet Slang: The term “involution” was originally used by anthropologist Clifford Geertz to describe agricultural systems that became more elaborate and labor-intensive without increasing their overall output. In the 2020s, Chinese internet users adopted the term to describe their own experiences in a hyper-competitive, slowing economy.
• Comparison to “Rat Race”: While similar to the Western concept of a “rat race,” `内卷` has a distinct emphasis on pointlessness and diminishing returns. A “rat race” often implies a chase for material gain or status, even if it's soul-crushing. `内卷`, however, highlights a situation where the rewards are not increasing, or may even be decreasing, despite the escalating effort. The goal is often not to win, but simply not to lose.
• Driving Forces: `内卷` is a response to intense societal pressures in modern China. This includes the notorious 高考 (gāokǎo) (college entrance exam), immense parental expectations, a shrinking number of high-paying white-collar jobs, and the demanding “996” work culture (9am-9pm, 6 days a week) popularized by some tech companies. It reflects a generational anxiety that the traditional path of “study hard, work hard, get rich” is no longer a guarantee.

• In the Workplace: `内卷` is often used to complain about toxic work environments. For example, if one employee stays late to impress the boss, others feel pressured to stay late too, even if they have finished their work. This creates an environment where long hours are valued over actual efficiency.
• In Education: This is a core context for `内卷`. Students and parents feel trapped in an arms race of tutoring, extra-curricular activities, and endless studying, all competing for the same limited spots in top schools.
• In Daily Life: The term has expanded to describe any area with pointless competition. For example, parents competing to throw the most elaborate birthday party for their child, or people on social media feeling pressured to post ever-more-perfect travel photos.
• Connotation: `内卷` almost always has a negative, cynical, and weary connotation. It's a term of complaint and helplessness, identifying a problem that individuals feel powerless to solve on their own.

• Example 1:
  • 现在找工作太内卷了，一个岗位有几百人申请。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài zhǎo gōngzuò tài nèijuǎn le, yí ge gǎngwèi yǒu jǐ bǎi rén shēnqǐng.
  • English: Finding a job is such a rat race now; one position has several hundred applicants.
  • Analysis: This is a classic use of `内卷` as a noun to describe a situation of extreme competition for limited resources.
• Example 2:
  • 别卷了，我们按时下班吧，工作是做不完的。
  • Pinyin: Bié juǎn le, wǒmen ànshí xiàbān ba, gōngzuò shì zuò bu wán de.
  • English: Stop the “involution” (stop competing pointlessly), let's get off work on time. You can never finish all the work anyway.
  • Analysis: Here, `卷 (juǎn)` is used as a verb, meaning “to engage in involution.” It's an informal plea to a colleague to stop the cycle of staying late.
• Example 3:
  • 为了孩子上好学校，家长们都内卷得非常厉害。
  • Pinyin: Wèile háizi shàng hǎo xuéxiào, jiāzhǎngmen dōu nèijuǎn de fēicháng lìhai.
  • English: In order for their kids to get into good schools, the parents are competing with each other to a crazy degree.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows how `内卷` is used to describe the actions of a group (parents). The structure `内卷 + 得 + [adverb]` describes the intensity of the involution.
• Example 4:
  • 我们团队的内卷文化太严重了，每个人都假装很忙。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen tuánduì de nèijuǎn wénhuà tài yánzhòng le, měi ge rén dōu jiǎzhuāng hěn máng.
  • English: The culture of involution in our team is too serious; everyone pretends to be busy.
  • Analysis: This example highlights `内卷` as a cultural phenomenon within a specific group, leading to performative work rather than productive work.
• Example 5:
  • 我本来只想做个简单的PPT，但看同事做得那么花哨，我也开始卷起来了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ běnlái zhǐ xiǎng zuò ge jiǎndān de PPT, dàn kàn tóngshì zuò de nàme huāshao, wǒ yě kāishǐ juǎn qǐlái le.
  • English: I originally just wanted to make a simple PowerPoint, but after seeing how fancy my colleague's was, I also started to “involute” (i.e., put in excessive effort).
  • Analysis: The phrase `卷起来 (juǎn qǐlái)` means “to start involuting.” This shows how one person's actions can trigger a competitive, `内卷` response in others.
• Example 6:
  • 连喝个奶茶都要排长队，真是万物皆可内卷。
  • Pinyin: Lián hē ge nǎichá dōu yào pái cháng duì, zhēnshi wàn wù jiē kě nèijuǎn.
  • English: Even getting a milk tea requires lining up in a long queue, truly anything can become an involution.
  • Analysis: This is a humorous and slightly exaggerated use of the term, applying it to daily life. “万物皆可内卷” (wàn wù jiē kě nèijuǎn) became a popular meme, meaning “everything can be turned into a rat race.”
• Example 7:
  • 他的绩点是4.0，真是个卷王。
  • Pinyin: Tā de jìdiǎn shì sì diǎn líng, zhēnshi ge juǎn wáng.
  • English: His GPA is 4.0, he's really a “king of involution.”
  • Analysis: `卷王 (juǎnwáng)` is a slang term for someone who is at the top of the `内卷` game, the one who sets the impossibly high standard that forces everyone else to compete. It can be used with a mix of awe and resentment.
• Example 8:
  • 这个行业已经高度内卷化，新公司很难生存。
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge hángyè yǐjīng gāodù nèijuǎn huà, xīn gōngsī hěn nán shēngcún.
  • English: This industry has already become highly involuted, making it difficult for new companies to survive.
  • Analysis: The suffix `-化 (-huà)` means “-ize” or “-ization.” `内卷化 (nèijuǎnhuà)` means “involuted” or the process of becoming involuted, often used in more formal or analytical contexts.
• Example 9:
  • 我不想再内卷了，我决定“躺平”。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù xiǎng zài nèijuǎn le, wǒ juédìng “tǎng píng”.
  • English: I don't want to be in the rat race anymore, I've decided to “lie flat.”
  • Analysis: This sentence directly connects `内卷` to its famous counter-movement, `躺平 (tǎng píng)`, which means to opt out of the competition.
• Example 10:
  • 公司不应该鼓励内卷，而应该提高效率。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī bù yīnggāi gǔlì nèijuǎn, ér yīnggāi tígāo xiàolǜ.
  • English: Companies shouldn't encourage involution; they should improve efficiency instead.
  • Analysis: This sentence presents a solution or critique, contrasting the pointless competition of `内卷` with the positive goal of efficiency (`效率`).

• `内卷` is NOT just “hard work” or “competition.” This is the most common misunderstanding. Hard work (`努力 nǔlì`) or striving (`奋斗 fèndòu`) is valued in Chinese culture and implies productive effort that leads to progress. Competition (`竞争 jìngzhēng`) can be healthy. `内卷` is specifically unproductive, irrational, zero-sum competition where the effort-to-reward ratio is broken.
  • Correct: “Everyone in the office stays until 10 PM doing nothing, just to be seen. The `内卷` is insane.”
  • Incorrect: “I studied hard and got into a great university. It was so `内卷`.” (A better word here would be `竞争很激烈` - jìngzhēng hěn jīliè - the competition was fierce).
• `内卷` is about the system, not just the individual. While you can say “I'm starting to `卷`”, the term is fundamentally a critique of a system (a company, an industry, an education system) that forces individuals into this behavior. It implies a lack of choice.

• 躺平 (tǎng píng) - “Lying flat.” The direct opposite and reaction to `内卷`. It means to opt-out of the rat race, reject societal pressures, and do the bare minimum to get by.
• 996 (jiǔjiǔliù) - The “996 working hour system” (9am to 9pm, 6 days a week). It is considered a prime example and cause of `内卷` in the Chinese tech industry.
• 鸡娃 (jīwá) - “Chicken baby.” A slang term for children who are pumped full of “chicken blood” (i.e., stimulants) by their parents, meaning they are pushed through an exhausting regimen of classes and tutoring. This is the source of educational `内卷`.
• 卷王 (juǎnwáng) - “King of involution.” A person who excels at and often drives the `内卷` in a particular environment, setting impossibly high standards for others.
• 内耗 (nèihào) - “Internal friction” or “internal attrition.” Very similar to `内卷`, but focuses more on the wasted energy and conflict within a group that prevents it from achieving its external goals. `内卷` is a specific type of `内耗`.
• 摸鱼 (mōyú) - “To touch fish,” meaning to slack off or be idle at work. It's a form of quiet resistance to a `内卷` work culture.
• 奋斗 (fèndòu) - To strive, to struggle for a goal. This is the positive ideal of hard work that `内卷` is a cynical departure from.
• 加班 (jiābān) - To work overtime. While not the same, the culture of excessive and often unpaid `加班` is a key symptom of `内卷` in the workplace.