gē jiǔcài: 割韭菜 - To Cut Leeks (To Exploit the Masses/Fleece Investors)

• Keywords: 割韭菜, ge jiucai, what does ge jiucai mean, Chinese slang, Chinese internet slang, cut leeks meaning, Chinese stock market term, fleecing investors, exploiting the masses, Chinese financial term, 韭菜, pump and dump scheme China.
• Summary: “割韭菜” (gē jiǔcài), literally “to cut leeks,” is a viral Chinese slang term describing the exploitation of naive individuals by powerful entities. Originating from the stock market to describe how institutional investors profit from retail investors (“leeks”) who cyclically lose money and are replaced by a new batch, the term now applies to any situation where the masses are repeatedly fleeced, whether in consumerism, online scams, or fan culture. It vividly captures a sense of systemic and repeatable exploitation where ordinary people are treated like a harvestable, ever-regrowing crop.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): gē jiǔcài
• Part of Speech: Verb Phrase / Slang
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: To repeatedly exploit a group of naive or powerless individuals for profit, like a farmer repeatedly harvesting leeks.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine leeks (or Chinese chives) in a garden. You can cut them, and they simply grow back, ready to be cut again. “割韭菜” uses this agricultural metaphor to describe a cynical economic or social reality. The “leeks” (韭菜, jiǔcài) are ordinary people—retail investors, trend-following consumers, or devoted fans. The “cutters” are large institutions, corporations, or influencers who create hype or manipulate systems to profit from the leeks. When one group of leeks loses their money or interest, they are “harvested,” and a new, fresh batch always seems to “grow back,” ready for the next cycle.

• 割 (gē): To cut, to mow, or to harvest. This character depicts a knife (刂) next to a phonetic component. Think of the action of using a tool to slice or sever something.
• 韭菜 (jiǔcài): Chinese chives or leeks. A very common and resilient vegetable in China. Its defining characteristic in this metaphor is its ability to regrow quickly from the roots after being harvested.

The two parts combine to form a powerful, modern metaphor: the powerful “cut” or “harvest” wealth from the common people, who, like chives, are seen as a renewable, and perhaps endless, resource to be exploited.

“割韭菜” is more than just a slang term; it's a cultural symbol of modern disillusionment and economic anxiety, particularly among Chinese millennials and Gen Z. It reflects a widespread belief that the system is rigged in favor of the powerful, and that the average person's primary economic function is to be a source of profit for others.

• Comparison to a Western Concept: The phrase is similar to the American concept of “fleecing the flock” or the P.T. Barnum idea that “there's a sucker born every minute.” However, `割韭菜` has a crucial difference: it emphasizes the cyclical and systemic nature of the exploitation. “Fleecing” can be a one-time event. “Cutting leeks” implies an ongoing, repeatable process—a business model. The leeks are expected to grow back. This reflects a deeper cynicism about escaping this cycle, a feeling that one is just part of a faceless, harvestable crop.
• Related Values: The term taps into a growing class consciousness and a frustration with immense wealth inequality. It stands in stark contrast to traditional ideals of social harmony, suggesting a more predatory modern dynamic. It's a bottom-up term, created by the “leeks” themselves to describe their own perceived predicament.

“割韭菜” is an informal and cynical term used widely on social media (like Weibo and Douban) and in private conversations.

• Stock Market & Finance (Original Context): This is its most common use. It describes institutional investors (“whales”) who manipulate a stock's price, encouraging small retail investors (`散户`, sǎnhù) to buy in at the peak. The institutions then sell off their holdings, causing the price to crash and “cutting” the retail investors, who are left with major losses.
• Consumerism: Companies that create artificial hype, limited-edition drops, or rely on aggressive marketing for mediocre products are often accused of `割韭菜`. Consumers who line up to buy the new trendy milk tea or the latest smartphone, only for a new version to come out moments later, might describe the company's strategy this way.
• Online Scams and Education: Low-quality online courses that promise to teach you how to get rich quick, or any predatory business that preys on people's hopes and anxieties, is a classic form of `割韭菜`.
• Fan Economy: When a celebrity's management team pushes fans to mass-buy products to boost sales data or donate to expensive and meaningless projects, critical observers will call this `割韭菜`.

• Example 1:
  • 最近股市不好，好多朋友都被割韭菜了。
  • Pinyin: Zuìjìn gǔshì bù hǎo, hǎoduō péngyǒu dōu bèi gē jiǔcài le.
  • English: The stock market has been bad recently, and a lot of my friends got fleeced (“were cut like leeks”).
  • Analysis: This is a classic use of the term in its original financial context. The passive voice `被 (bèi)` is common, emphasizing the victimhood of the “leeks.”
• Example 2:
  • 别买那个网红推荐的课了，他们就是想割韭菜。
  • Pinyin: Bié mǎi nàge wǎnghóng tuījiàn de kè le, tāmen jiùshì xiǎng gē jiǔcài.
  • English: Don't buy that course recommended by the influencer; they're just trying to “cut leeks” (exploit their followers).
  • Analysis: Here, the term is applied to the creator economy. It frames the influencer as the “cutter” and their followers as the “leeks.”
• Example 3:
  • 我感觉自己就是根老韭菜，每次都被套牢。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ gǎnjué zìjǐ jiùshì gēn lǎo jiǔcài, měi cì dōu bèi tàoláo.
  • English: I feel like I'm just an old leek, getting trapped (in the stock market) every time.
  • Analysis: A self-deprecating use where the speaker identifies *as* a `韭菜 (jiǔcài)`. `套牢 (tàoláo)` is specific stock market slang for being unable to sell a stock without taking a huge loss.
• Example 4:
  • 这家公司的商业模式就是不断推出新型号来割韭菜。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī de shāngyè móshì jiùshì bùduàn tuīchū xīn xínghào lái gē jiǔcài.
  • English: This company's business model is to constantly release new models to “cut leeks” (fleece its customers).
  • Analysis: This sentence criticizes a corporate strategy, applying the term to consumerism and planned obsolescence.
• Example 5:
  • 他又被骗了？真是个合格的韭菜。
  • Pinyin: Tā yòu bèi piàn le? Zhēn shì ge hégé de jiǔcài.
  • English: He got scammed again? He's truly a “qualified leek.”
  • Analysis: A cynical, informal comment about a friend who is perpetually naive and easily exploited. The term `韭菜` is used here to mean “sucker” or “easy target.”
• Example 6:
  • 远离那些承诺快速致富的项目，它们都是割韭菜的陷阱。
  • Pinyin: Yuǎnlí nàxiē chéngnuò kuàisù zhìfù de xiàngmù, tāmen dōu shì gē jiǔcài de xiànjǐng.
  • English: Stay away from those get-rich-quick schemes; they are all traps designed to “cut leeks.”
  • Analysis: This sentence uses `割韭菜` as a descriptor (`的`) for the noun `陷阱` (xiànjǐng - trap), showing its versatility.
• Example 7:
  • 我们不能坐以待毙，等着被资本割韭菜。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bùnéng zuò yǐ dài bì, děngzhe bèi zīběn gē jiǔcài.
  • English: We can't just sit here and wait to be slaughtered, waiting for capital to “cut us like leeks.”
  • Analysis: A more activist or defiant use of the term. `资本 (zīběn)` means “capital” and is often personified as the entity doing the “cutting.”
• Example 8:
  • 这款手游不停地出新皮肤，割韭菜的意图太明显了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè kuǎn shǒuyóu bùtíng de chū xīn pífū, gē jiǔcài de yìtú tài míngxiǎn le.
  • English: This mobile game keeps releasing new skins; the intention to “cut leeks” is too obvious.
  • Analysis: This applies the concept to the gaming industry, where players are enticed to make continuous small purchases.
• Example 9:
  • 他炒币亏光了所有积蓄，被割得干干净净。
  • Pinyin: Tā chǎo bì kuī guāng le suǒyǒu jīxù, bèi gē de gāngānjìngjìng.
  • English: He lost all his savings speculating on crypto; he was “cut” completely clean.
  • Analysis: Here, the term is shortened to just `割 (gē)`, the verb “to cut.” In context, everyone understands it refers to the `割韭菜` phenomenon.
• Example 10:
  • A: 你为什么不买那个新手机？ (Nǐ wèishéme bù mǎi nàge xīn shǒujī?) - Why don't you buy that new phone?
  • B: 我不想当韭菜。 (Wǒ bù xiǎng dāng jiǔcài.) - I don't want to be a “leek” (a sucker).
  • Analysis: A simple, powerful conversational reply that shows one is aware of the marketing scheme and refuses to participate.

• Systemic vs. Individual: A common mistake for learners is to use `割韭菜` for any simple scam. If a street vendor overcharges you for a souvenir, that's `坑 (kēng)` or `宰客 (zǎikè)`. `割韭菜` is reserved for large-scale, systemic exploitation where a group of people is targeted repeatedly by a more powerful entity (a company, the market, an influencer). The key is the power imbalance and the renewable nature of the victims.
• Not Just “To Rip Off”: While it involves being ripped off, `割韭菜` is more specific. It implies the victim had some agency and was lured by greed, hope, or FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). They willingly entered the “leek field” (e.g., the stock market or a crypto craze), making them ripe for cutting. This element of victim complicity makes the term more complex than a simple scam.
• Literal Meaning is Rare: In 99% of modern contexts, especially online or in discussions about finance and consumerism, this phrase is figurative. Don't be confused and think people are actually talking about gardening unless the context is explicitly agricultural.

• 韭菜 (jiǔcài) - The victim in the scenario; the “leek” or “sucker.”
• 镰刀 (liándāo) - The “sickle.” A less common but vivid term for the powerful entity or person doing the “cutting.”
• 散户 (sǎnhù) - “Retail investors.” The specific group most often labeled as `韭菜` in a stock market context.
• 接盘 (jiēpán) - “To take over the plate.” To buy an asset at a high price from someone who is cashing out, right before it crashes. This is the action a `韭菜` often takes.
• 智商税 (zhìshāng shuì) - “IQ tax.” A slang term for the money one loses due to a foolish decision. Being “cut like a leek” involves paying a high “IQ tax.”
• 薅羊毛 (hāo yángmáo) - “To pull wool from a sheep.” The inverse of `割韭菜`. This refers to savvy consumers exploiting loopholes, promotional deals, and coupons to gain benefits from big companies. Here, the individual is the “cutter” and the company is the “sheep.”
• 坑 (kēng) - (v.) To cheat, to scam, to rip off. A much more general-purpose word for being cheated, usually in a one-on-one transaction.
• 庞氏骗局 (pángshì piànjú) - A Ponzi Scheme. A classic and large-scale method of `割韭菜`.