Meme
Meaning: A funny image, video, or piece of text that spreads rapidly across the internet, often with variations.
Memes are the inside jokes of the internet. They can be image macros with text, short video clips, catchphrases, or any format that gets endlessly remixed and shared. Meme culture is central to American internet life — memes comment on politics, pop culture, everyday struggles, and everything in between. Understanding memes is practically a literacy in modern American culture.
Examples
- That meme about working from home is so relatable. 那个关于在家办公的梗也太真实了。Ese meme sobre trabajar desde casa es tan identificable.在宅勤務のミーム、めっちゃわかるわ。재택근무 밈 너무 공감돼.
- He turned his embarrassing photo into a meme and just owned it. 他把自己的尴尬照片做成了梗,坦然面对。Convirtió su foto vergonzosa en un meme y simplemente se lo tomó con humor.彼、恥ずかしい写真をミームにして自分でネタにしたんだよ。그는 자기 창피한 사진을 밈으로 만들어서 당당하게 밀고 나갔어.
- The internet turned that moment into a meme within hours. 网友们几个小时内就把那个瞬间做成了梗。Internet convirtió ese momento en un meme en cuestión de horas.ネット民があの瞬間を数時間でミームにしちゃった。인터넷이 그 순간을 몇 시간 만에 밈으로 만들어버렸어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: social media, texting, pop culture, humor
Tone: humorous, relatable
✓ Do Say
- Send me that meme — it's hilarious.把那个梗发给我——太搞笑了。Mándame ese meme — es buenísimo.あのミーム送って——最高に面白い。그 밈 보내줘——진짜 웃겨.
- This situation is basically a meme at this point.这事儿到这个地步基本就是个梗了。Esta situación ya es básicamente un meme a estas alturas.この状況、もはやミームだよね。이 상황은 이제 사실상 밈이야.
✗ Don't Say
- Explaining why a meme is funny kills the humor — if someone doesn't get it, just move on解释一个梗为什么好笑会毁掉笑点——如果别人不懂就算了Explicar por qué un meme es gracioso mata el humor — si alguien no lo pilla, simplemente pasaミームの面白さを説明するとつまらなくなる——わからない人にはそのままスルーしよう밈이 왜 웃긴지 설명하면 유머가 사라진다——상대가 이해 못 하면 그냥 넘어가라
Origin & History
The term was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book 'The Selfish Gene' to describe cultural units that spread like genes. The internet adopted it in the early 2000s for viral images and jokes, with sites like 4chan and Reddit becoming major meme factories.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s mainstream
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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