躺平

tǎngpíng

verb

Meanings

1 to lie flat
2 to opt out of the rat race
3 to do the bare minimum

Characters

Literally 'lie flat' — refusing to stand up and compete

Examples

他决定躺平，不再追求升职加薪。

Tā juédìng tǎngpíng, bù zài zhuīqiú shēngzhí jiāxīn.

He decided to lie flat and stop chasing promotions and raises.

年轻人说躺平是对内卷的反抗。

Niánqīngrén shuō tǎngpíng shì duì nèijuǎn de fǎnkàng.

Young people say lying flat is a rebellion against the rat race.

我今天不想努力了，就躺平吧。

Wǒ jīntiān bù xiǎng nǔlì le, jiù tǎngpíng ba.

I don't feel like working hard today; let's just lie flat.

Tips

culture

躺平 became a social movement in 2021, sparked by a viral post declaring rejection of overwork culture. It represents a conscious choice to stop competing, do just enough to survive, and reclaim personal time — the philosophical opposite of 内卷.

memory

Picture someone literally lying flat on the ground while everyone else runs frantically around them — they've chosen to opt out.

Stroke Order

躺 tǎng

平 píng