city不city

What does city不city mean?

city不city plugs the English word “city” into the Chinese “A不A” yes-or-no question pattern, giving “is it city or not?”. Here “city” loosely means modern, stylish, exciting or fun, and the expected reply is “很city” or “so city”. People use it jokingly about cafés, outfits, street food, trips and any experience that feels fashionable or novel. The deliberately clumsy mix of English and Chinese is part of the charm.

Where does city不city come from?

An American vlogger known in China as 保保熊 (Baobao Bear) posted travel videos in which he and his sister asked each other whether Shanghai was “city不city” and answered “so city”. The clips went viral in 2024 as more foreign visitors traveled to China, and the phrase appeared on both 《咬文嚼字》 (Yaowen Jiaozi)'s and Douyin's 2024 buzzword lists.

How to use city不city

• 这家咖啡店装修得好city啊！
  Zhè jiā kāfēi diàn zhuāngxiū de hǎo city a!
  This café's decor is so city!
• 周末去逛夜市，city不city？
  Zhōumò qù guàng yèshì, city bù city?
  Hitting the night market this weekend, is that city or what?