Chinese internet companies have a dialect of their own: 对齐、抓手、闭环、赋能、颗粒度、打通、沉淀、链路、心智. Some of it is useful shorthand. Much of it hides the fact that a sentence has no owner, no date and no number. This skill translates 黑话 into plain words, says what each sentence really commits to, and rewrites it at the tone the person wants. It also runs the other way, plain words into 黑话, for fun, for parody, or to understand what a new colleague will sound like.
Write in Simplified Chinese unless the person asks for Traditional Chinese or English. Jargon varies by company (阿里土话, 字节 and 腾讯 usage differ); where a term has a company-specific meaning, say so.
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided, otherwise infer and label the assumption:
- The text: a sentence, a message, a weekly report, a slide or a meeting note
- Direction: 黑话 to plain (the default), or plain to 黑话
- Tone dial: 白话 (plain, the default), 得体职场 (polite workplace, keeps the few terms that are genuinely precise), or 满分大厂味 (full parody, for fun only)
- The reader, if the output will be sent: manager, cross-team colleague, client, or friends in a group chat
- Mode: translate, rewrite a 周报 without jargon, or look up terms in the glossary
Output Structure
1. 逐句翻译 (line-by-line translation)
| 原文 | 人话 | 实际承诺了什么 | 缺什么 | The third column states who does what by when; the fourth names what the sentence is missing (负责人, 时间, 数字, 具体动作). A sentence that commits to nothing is marked 空话.
2. 改写版本 (rewrite at the chosen tone)
- 白话: short sentences, verbs and numbers, no jargon.
- 得体职场: plain, but keeps terms that are clearer than the alternative (复盘, 迭代, 漏斗, 转化率) and stays polite to a manager.
- 满分大厂味: maximum 黑话 density, labelled 仅供娱乐 so nobody pastes it into a real report by mistake.
3. 周报去黑话 mode
For a weekly report, keep the structure (本周完成, 问题与风险, 下周计划) and rewrite each item so it shows a result, a number where the person gave one, an owner and a date. List every line that had nothing behind the jargon and ask the person for the missing fact rather than inventing it. For building a weekly report from scratch, use cn-weekly-report.
4. 黑话词典 (glossary)
Show the terms used in the text, or the full list below when asked.
| 黑话 | 人话 | 常见用法 | 注意 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 对齐 | 确认大家理解一致、目标一致 | 我们对齐一下 | 常常意味着要开会；问清楚对齐什么、跟谁、何时 |
| 拉通 | 把相关团队拉到一起协调 | 拉通产研运营 | 写明拉通哪几方 |
| 对焦 | 确认双方说的是同一件事 | 先对焦一下需求 | 同对齐，范围更小 |
| 抓手 | 具体从哪里入手、用什么手段 | 找到增长的抓手 | Follow-up: which specific action |
| closed loop | Do something from start to finish and confirm the result | This issue needs a closed loop | Clarify what counts as a "closed loop" |
| enablement | Help, support, provide tools or training | The middle platform enables the business | Clarify what was provided |
| granularity | Level of detail | The granularity is too coarse | Point out which level of detail is needed |
| connect | Connect, make data or processes interoperable | Connect the membership systems | Specify which two systems are being connected |
| consolidate | Organize experience into documents or reusable things | Consolidate the methodology | Ask: what document was it consolidated into, and where is it |
| chain | A series of steps or a process | Order placement chain | You can just say "process" |
| mindshare | Users' impression of the product | Capture users' mindshare | Explain with research or data |
| underlying logic | Root cause, basic rationale | Think through the underlying logic | Just state the rationale directly |
| top-level design | Overall planning | Lacks top-level design | Clarify who decides and what is decided |
| combination punch | Use several measures together | Deliver a combination punch | List the specific measures |
| approach | Method, strategy | A new approach | Write out the steps |
| land | Actually execute, go live | The plan needs to land | Provide the launch time |
| run through | Go through it from start to finish for the first time | First run the MVP through | Explain the criteria for running through |
| break down | Divide a big goal into small tasks | Break down OKRs | Useful, can keep it |
| iterate | Improve in rounds | Iterate quickly | Useful, can keep it |
| retrospective | Review afterward, summarize experience | Project retrospective | Useful, keep it; see cn-fupan |
| pain point | Problems users encounter | Solve users' pain points | Write out the specific problem |
| hook | A highlight that attracts attention | Find content hooks | Explain what the highlight is |
| ignite | Make content spread quickly | Ignite the topic | Use data to explain the spread target |
| momentum | Impetus, influence | Leverage brand momentum | Mostly can be deleted |
| track | Market segment | Enter a new track | State which market it is |
| Ecosystem | Partners and product groups around a product | Build an ecosystem | List the partners |
| Matrix | A set of related accounts or products | Account matrix | List what is included |
| Funnel | The conversion process where users drop off step by step | Optimize the funnel | Useful, keep it |
| Reach | Contact or cover users | Reach users | Specify the channel and number of people |
| Private domain | User groups that can be contacted directly (groups, official accounts, etc.) | Private domain operations | Specify which channel it is |
| Blocker | The place where things are stuck, an obstacle | The blocker is legal | Specify who it is stuck with and what is needed |
| Benchmark | Compare with a certain target | Benchmark against competitors | Specify the benchmark target and metrics |
| Endorsement | Recognition from influential people or institutions | Obtain endorsement from a major client | Specify who it is |
| Dimension | Angle, aspect | Multi-dimensional analysis | List which aspects they are |
| Perception | Notice, feel | Users' perception is weak | Explain with data |
| Focus | Concentrate effort | Focus on the core business | Explain what was given up |
| Synergy | Coordinate, cooperate | Cross-departmental synergy | Specify who cooperates with whom |
| Co-build | Do together | Co-build with partners | Specify the division of labor |
| Pass through | Relay as is | Pass the information through to the team | You can just say "relay" |
| Feed back | Bring benefits in reverse | Data feeds back into the business | Explain what it brought |
| Backstop | Take responsibility for wrapping up and guaranteeing a minimum when problems arise | I'll backstop it | Explain the backstop plan |
| Force | Use pressure to force change | Use goals to force efficiency | Explain the specific pressure |
| Output | Produce, deliver | Output a plan | Specify the deliverable and time |
| Cadence | Arrangement, progress | Control the cadence | Give a timetable |
| Level | Current level | Inventory level | Give a number |
| Cost reduction and efficiency improvement | Reduce costs and improve efficiency (sometimes means layoffs) | Cost reduction and efficiency improvement throughout the year | Explain the specific measures |
| Drawing a pie in the sky | Promising future benefits without any concrete guarantee | The boss is drawing pie in the sky again | Colloquial; do not put it in formal documents |
| owner / person in charge | The person responsible for this matter | You be the owner | Useful; write down the name |
| sync up | Synchronize information; give a heads-up | Let's sync up after the meeting | Specify who to sync with |
| Pull hair / look in the mirror / smell the scent | Alibaba slang: elevate your perspective to look at the problem / self-reflection / sense the team atmosphere | Managers need to know how to pull hair | Company-specific usage; outside readers may not understand it |
Quality Checks
- Every translated sentence shows what it commits to, and sentences with nothing behind them are marked 空话
- No owner, date or number is invented; missing facts are asked for
- Useful precise terms (复盘, 迭代, 漏斗, 拆解) are kept in the 得体职场 tone rather than stripped mechanically
- The parody tone is labelled 仅供娱乐 and never offered as a real report
- Company-specific terms (阿里土话 and similar) are marked as such
- The rewrite is shorter than the original or the same length, never longer
Anti-Patterns
- Stripping every term. 复盘 and 转化率 are clearer than their paraphrases; the target is empty jargon, not all vocabulary.
- Filling gaps with guesses. If "推进闭环" has no date, ask; do not make one up.
- Mocking the reader. The parody is for the person's own amusement; a rewrite sent to a manager stays respectful.
- Translating word for word. "对齐一下" often means "we need a 15-minute meeting with A and B this week"; translate the intent.
- Sending parody to a real channel. Label it, every time.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "The boss said, 'This project needs to find its grip, form a closed loop, and precipitate a methodology'—what exactly does he want me to do?"
- "Help me de-jargon this weekly report and turn it into a version the boss can understand at a glance."
- "Rewrite 'we'll have a meeting to discuss it next week' into full-on big-tech flavor and send it to the group chat for fun."
- "Give me an internet jargon dictionary with plain-language explanations."
- "Translate this Chinese corporate jargon into plain words."