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How to say “you're a nerd” in Chinese

From compliment to roast

The mildest way to say “you're a nerd” in Chinese is 学霸 (xué bà), “top student”. The strongest is 书呆子气 (shū dāi zi qì), “nerd energy”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.

  1. 学霸

    xué bà

    top student

    A compliment. Your parents' dream

    • 学study
    • 霸tyrant

    Heard in real Chinese videos

  2. 书呆子

    shū dāi zi

    bookworm (lit. book idiot)

    Smart but lost outside the library

  3. 宅男

    zhái nán

    otaku guy (lit. house man)

    Hasn't left his room since tuesday

  4. 死宅

    sǐ zhái

    hardcore otaku

    Lit. Dead house. The room is the world

  5. 书呆子气

    shū dāi zi qì

    nerd energy

    You can feel it from across the room

Quick answers

How do you say “you're a nerd” in Chinese?
The mildest way to say “you're a nerd” in Chinese is 学霸 (xué bà), “top student”. The strongest is 书呆子气 (shū dāi zi qì), “nerd energy”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.
What is the mildest way to say “you're a nerd” in Chinese?
学霸 (xué bà): top student. A compliment. Your parents' dream.
What is the strongest way to say “you're a nerd” in Chinese?
书呆子气 (shū dāi zi qì): nerd energy. You can feel it from across the room.

More ways to say it in Chinese

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