Quick Observation: Fubai - It’s Not Just For Corrupt Government Officials Anymore
“咱们今晚去è…败，好ä¸å¥½ï¼Ÿ”
My co-worker asks me if I want to go fubai （è…败）with him tonight. I am utterly confused, because as a Chinese student I learned that the word fubai is generally used to describe corrupt government officials.
There is a new definition of the word spreading around the BBS message boards. Online, fubai (abbreviated FB) most often refers to a group of friends who go out for a big expensive meal. My colleague did not ask me to go with him to exchange red envelopes full of cash with government officials; he just wanted me to go with him to an expensive Japanese buffet restaurant for dinner.
Some examples of new age fubai:
Exhibit A: A Chinese netizen posts a picture of her afternoon tea at Pizza Hut. In the US Pizza Hut is cheap fast food, but in China it is the perfect fubai treat.
Exhibit B: A Beijing University online forum dedicated solely to documenting Beijing’s best ways to fubai:
http://bbs.pkumpacc.cn/forumdisplay.php?fid=14
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[...] Mandarin word for corruption, fubai, takes on a new meaning among Chinese youth. [The China [...]
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Well, as a Chinese student, I can say that was interesting!