Lying flat（躺平）：

In Chinese, it is pronounced as: tǎng píng，Written as:

“Lying flat” is a buzzword that has become popular in recent years within Chinese online and social contexts. It generally refers to a passive approach to dealing with life’s pressures and societal competition, namely giving up on striving, foregoing effort, and choosing to expend the minimal effort necessary for subsistence. In areas such as the workplace, academia, and marriage, those who choose to “lie flat” often adopt a lifestyle of low desires and minimal goals, not pursuing high income, prestigious positions, or other traditional forms of success.

The term “lying flat” reflects some people’s reflection on and resistance to the current societal conditions and pressures. With increasing social competition and growing pressures related to housing, education, and healthcare, some young people find it difficult to bear the immense burdens of life and the intense pace of work. Therefore, they choose to “lie flat” as a means to protect their mental and physical health.

Lying flat may seem like a compromise or a surrender, but it is actually a form of “breaking through the ceiling downwards” — a rebellious stance against being constrained by societal expectations. Young people who choose to lie flat are essentially opting out, distancing themselves from the mainstream paths of overtime work, promotions, earning money, and buying houses. They dissolve the external environment’s control over the individual by living in their own way.