MSG029: Can You Say "Woke" in Chinese?

1. 觉悟 (jué wù)

Englightenment! Existential awakening! Evolving into your final form! (Might also be used to stand in for the USian concept of “woke,” but it’s more likely that Chinese speakers would use “woke” itself as a loan word)

2. 醒悟 (xǐng wù)

A more mundane kind of awakening or awareness, like your mind wandered and you snapped back to reality. Or like your favorite podcast host has been a fraud the whole time and you’re just now realizing it.

3. 清醒 (qīng xǐng)

Clear-headed or sharp.

4. 醒酒 (xǐng jiǔ)

To sober up. Also used to talk about how red wine “wakes up” a few minutes after you open the bottle. Really, we didn’t give this one enough time in the episode. Good word!

5. 醒目 (xǐng mù)

“Eye-awakening” or eye-catching. Such a vivid metaphor!

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