Introduction

Sometimes I wake up in the morning to get ready for class only to realize that I’ve woken up an hour early and I’m delighted because even if its for a little longer, I can go back to sleep. Sometimes a cold refreshment after a long day out or an intense workout immediately brightens my mood. Although such actions are incredibly inferior compared to larger accomplishments that would bring me more happiness, these little moments of intensely packed dopamine get me through even the toughest days. The Chinese have a slang word for this and it is “小确幸” or “small solid happiness.” I especially resonate with this phrase as it gives meaning to something that I experience daily and thereby has been part of my whole life. As a result, I feel the need to use this post to talk about its origin, usage, and various examples

Origin

Originally, 小确幸 was a Japanese phrase that has become popular among Chinese youth to describe the tiny pleasures that make daily life bearable such as a morning coffee, petting a cat, etc. The term 小确幸 was initially coined by Japanese writer Haruki Murakumi in his 1986 essay collection Afternoon on a Bright Day where he defined it as “small, definite happiness.” In the early 2010s the term had a resurgence as it became popular in the Chinese Youth’s texting culture spreading through platforms like Weibo and other online forums.

Usage

Chinese netizens adopted the term as a form of emotional resistance against the extreme academic pressure and work overload that citizens face which also has a term, namely 内卷 (involution). Especially in a period where students and adults compete for perfect GPAs, promotions, etc., the concept of finding happiness in such trivial things is revolutionary. The posts talking about 小确幸 can be considered a form of 小确幸 in themselves as people using these platforms are looking for a break from their everyday lives. One example of a hyperbolic representation of this small, definite happiness can be encapsulated by one user who stated, “The world can collapse tomorrow, but today I still want to drink my bubble tea in peace.” Nowadays these posts are even more common as Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu, Weibo, and Bilibili grow globally and users tag their everyday examples of small, definite happiness with a 小确幸 hashtag.

Examples

小确幸 or “xiao que xing” for many Chinese youth can be as simple as:

• Listening to music while studying late at night
• Drinking milk tea after a long day at work
• Watching a movie/show with no distractions
• Scrolling through social media like WeChat

This is something that is relatively universal as people around the world use such actions to cool down after an excruciating day at work or school. However, this concept also describes a greater shift in cultural values as modern society promotes measuring success by grades, position, status, and other established ideas while 小确幸 reminds us that true success is measured by personal happiness, peace of mind, and internal understanding.

Reflection

Some see 小确幸 as a “comfort pill” or a means of avoiding social issues in China like social inequality and overworking for China’s youth by allowing themselves to retreat and take pride in small joys. Although some argue that it’s a means of coping with such pressures, I believe this phrase could also be seen as a form of silent rebellion where the Chinese youth refuse to allow external pressures determine their happiness. Additionally, the phrase seems to appropriate western self-care aesthetics while also resisting the typical 996 work culture in China, namely the principle of working from 9 am to 9 pm 6 days a week, at the same time.

I also believe that the origin of the phrase 小确幸 is an important point of analysis as it emphasized joys that were small in scale yet guaranteed in happiness in a time of post-war Japan minimization and post-reflection. This philosophy of quiet gratitude was adopted by the Chinese Youth with the advent of social media although repurposed for a different period and more modern issues. Rather than post-war reflection, the Chinese adopted the phrase for issues like urban alienation, exhaustion, and depression from an increasingly competitive and toxic work culture such as the 996 work culture. I believe this transition of the use and semantic of xiao que xing shows how the phrase has adapted multinationally across different time periods to resonate with currently pressing issues.

Conclusion

小确幸 represents the quiet heartbeat of modern Chinese life. During a period where everyone is fighting for external success, the rise of 小确幸 shows the importance of achieving internal happiness and not taking even the smallest moments in life for granted. Additionally, it shows how culture can evolve over time not only through politics and the advent of technology but also through emotion and the way people choose to live and experience their lives every day.

For me, that small but certain happiness will always be the feeling of a cold refreshment after a long day. For someone else, it might be a late-night bowl of noodles or a text from a friend. Either way, the idea reminds us that even in chaos, there is always something small and certain to hold onto.