已读乱回

What does 已读乱回 mean?

已读乱回 plays on 已读不回, the Chinese equivalent of 'left on read'. Instead of ignoring you, the other person does reply — just with something that has nothing to do with what you said. It can describe an honest misunderstanding, a chat where two people completely talk past each other, or a deliberate dodge, like answering a nosy question about your salary with a comment about the weather. Said about yourself, it's a playful way of admitting you're deflecting on purpose.

Where does 已读乱回 come from?

The phrase took off in January 2024 from Douyin videos by the account 渣渣辉和他爷爷, in which the creator's grandfather keeps mishearing questions and answering wildly wrong — for example, hearing 阳了 ('I tested positive') as 养了个羊 ('I raised a sheep'). More viral clips of mismatched questions and answers followed, and the phrase was included in Douyin's list of annual memes for 2024.

How to use 已读乱回

• 我问他吃了没，他说明天下雨，真是已读乱回。
  Wǒ wèn tā chī le méi, tā shuō míngtiān xià yǔ, zhēn shì yǐ dú luàn huí.
  I asked if he'd eaten and he said it's going to rain tomorrow — a totally random reply.
• 亲戚问工资，我直接已读乱回。
  Qīnqi wèn gōngzī, wǒ zhíjiē yǐ dú luàn huí.
  When my relatives asked about my salary, I just replied with something random.