八卦

• Pinyin: bā guà
• Hanzi breakdown: 八 = eight; 卦 = 圭 + 卜, meaning divination symbol

Meaning

Gossip; the Eight Trigrams (in Chinese philosophy).

Has two meanings: 1) The Eight Trigrams from the I Ching, fundamental symbols in Chinese cosmology; 2) In modern slang, gossip or being nosy about others' affairs. The slang usage is extremely common.

Examples

1. 她特别喜欢八卦，公司里什么消息都知道。 She loves gossip — she knows everything going on in the company.
2. 别那么八卦，管好自己的事就行了。 Don't be so nosy — just mind your own business.
3. 八卦在中国传统文化中代表天地万物的变化。 The Eight Trigrams represent the changes of all things in traditional Chinese culture.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, slang

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你怎么这么八卦？(Why are you so nosy?)
• 说说八卦呗！(Tell me the gossip!)

Don't Say

• 在严肃讨论易经时用'八卦'表示闲聊 (Don't confuse the two meanings — in philosophical contexts, 八卦 means the trigrams)

Origin & History

八 (eight) + 卦 (trigram). Originally philosophical symbols; modern 'gossip' meaning comes from tabloid magazines using 八卦 in their names.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal