萌 (méng) Cute In China, you will often hear the word "萌 (méng)" used in daily life or while watching the news or TV. The word "萌 (méng)" means to sprout and is the symbol of spring. From this, the meaning of "萌 (méng)" has been extended and used to describe young girls who are attractive and give us the feeling of the coming of Spring. But currently "萌 (méng)" is usualy used to say "cute." The term originated from the animation industry. In the animation industry it is used as a lingua franca to refer to young, innocent and beautiful little girls. But now this word has been expanded to describe all the beautiful and cute young girls and boys. Now in the entertainment industry, the phrase "卖萌 (màiméng)" is usually used. It is a verb and means to "pretend to be cute" to attract the audienceand fans. The word "卖 (mài)" literally means to sell, but here it is the short form of "卖弄 (màīnong)" meaning to show off. Examples Tā zài zhège diànyǐng lǐ yǎn de juésè hǎo méng a, wǒmen dōu hěn xǐhuan. 1. 他 在 这个 电影 里 演 的 角色 好 萌 啊，我们 都 很 喜欢！ The role he played in the movie was really cute; we all liked it! Mèimei zǒngshì zài wǒ miànqián màiméng hǎo ràng wǒ gěi tā mǎi táng chī! 2. 妹妹 总是 在 我 面前 卖萌 好 让 我 给 她 买 糖 吃！ My little sister always pretends to be cute in front of me in order to get candy from me! Wǔ suì de nǚ'ér chuānzhe fěnsè de qúnzi, yí shàng tái jiù méng fān quánchǎng. 3. 五 岁 的 女儿 穿着 粉色 的 裙子，一 上 台 就 萌 翻 全场。 My 5-year-old daughter is so cute when she wears her pink skirt. The entire audience cannot help applauding her when she comes out on the stage.