时髦

• Pinyin: shí máo
• Hanzi breakdown: 时 = 日 + 寺 (time, of the era); 髦 = 髟 (hair radical) + 毛 (hair/fur — fine, luxuriant)

Meaning

Fashionable; stylish; trendy. Being in line with the latest fashion or social trends.

Slightly colloquial and often used with a hint of irony or affection. Can describe clothing, hairstyles, speech, ideas, or behaviours. Older generations may use it with mild disapproval; younger speakers use it neutrally or positively. Contrast: 老土 (outdated, unfashionable). Related: 流行 (popular/trendy — broader), 潮 (cool/trendy — more youthful slang), 前卫 (avant-garde).

Examples

1. 上世纪八十年代，穿喇叭裤戴蛤蟆镜被视为最时髦的打扮，是那个年代年轻人追求个性的象征。 In the 1980s, wearing bell-bottoms and mirrored sunglasses was considered the height of fashion and a symbol of young people’s pursuit of individuality in that era.
2. 他总是紧跟潮流，无论是穿着还是用词，都让同龄人觉得又时髦又有品位。 He’s always right on trend—whether it’s how he dresses or the words he uses, people his age find him stylish and tasteful.
3. 这家咖啡馆刻意营造了一种复古与时髦并存的独特氛围，吸引了大批喜欢打卡拍照的年轻顾客。 This café deliberately creates a distinctive vibe where retro and trendy coexist, attracting lots of young customers who love to take photos and check in.

Usage Guide

Context: fashion, lifestyle, culture, daily conversation

Tone: light

Do Say

• 她换了一个时髦的短发造型之后，整个人的精神面貌焕然一新，连平时不苟言笑的上司都忍不住称赞了几句。(After changing to a stylish short hairstyle, her whole appearance was completely refreshed; even her usually stern boss could not help offering a few words of praise.)
• 这个词最近在网络上非常流行，大家都在用，但很多中老年人还不太明白是什么意思，觉得年轻人的语言越来越时髦难懂了。(This word has been very popular online recently and everyone is using it, but many middle-aged and older people do not quite understand what it means, feeling that young people's language is becoming increasingly trendy and hard to follow.)

Don't Say

• 时髦 in formal written contexts or official documents — use 流行 or 当前趋势 instead; 时髦 belongs to informal registers and can sound flippant in serious prose

Origin & History

时 (of the time, current) + 髦 (fine hair of a horse's mane — by extension: outstanding, fashionable)

Cultural Context

Era: Reform era to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal