Chinese Slang – 智商税 zhìshāng shuì

智商税 zhìshāng shuì

N. (Literal meaning is “IQ tax”)

智商税 zhìshāng shuì is a slang term used online in Chinese to describe money people spend because they were gullible, uninformed, or tricked — basically, they “paid the price” for not being smart or skeptical enough.

買mǎi這zhè種zhǒng幾jǐ千qiān塊kuài的de保健bǎojiàn品pǐn根本gēnběn沒méi用yòng， 純粹chúncuì是shì在zài交jiāo智商稅zhìshāngshuì买mǎi这zhè种zhǒng几jī千qiān块kuài的de保健bǎojiàn品pǐn根本gēnběn没méi用yòng， 纯粹chúncuì是shì在zài交jiāo智商税zhìshāngshuì
Buying this kind of expensive health supplement is totally useless — it’s just paying an IQ tax.

你nǐ信xìn那個nàge網紅wǎnghóng的de推薦tuījiàn？ 你nǐ真的zhēnde是shì在zài繳jiǎo智商稅zhìshāngshuì欸e你nǐ信xìn那个nàge网红wǎnghóng的de推荐tuījiàn？ 你nǐ真的zhēnde是shì在zài缴jiǎo智商税zhìshāngshuì欸e
You believed that influencer’s recommendation? You’re really paying the price for being too trusting.

我wǒ以前yǐqián買mǎi過guò網路wǎnglù上shàng的de奇怪qíguài減肥jiǎnféi藥yào， 後來hòulái才cái知道zhīdào是shì智商税zhìshāngshuì…… 我wǒ以前yǐqián买mǎi过guò网路wǎnglù上shàng的de奇怪qíguài减肥jiǎnféi药yào， 后来hòulái才cái知道zhīdào是shì智商税zhìshāngshuì……
I once bought weird diet pills online. Later I realized it was just an IQ tax…

你nǐ覺得juéde買mǎi影片yǐngpiàn自學zìxué中文zhōngwén是shì智商稅zhìshāngshuì嗎ma？ 你nǐ觉得juéde买mǎi影片yǐngpiàn自学zìxué中文zhōngwén是shì智商税zhìshāngshuì吗ma？
Do you think buying video courses to self-learn Chinese is an IQ tax?

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Conversation

A: 欸èi， 我wǒ昨天zuótiān買mǎi了le一個yíge可以kěyǐ「 三sān天tiān內nèi流利liúlì說shuō中文zhōngwén」 的de線上xiànshàng課程kèchéng， 結果jiéguǒ就是jiùshì一個yíge中國人Zhōngguórén用yòng中文zhōngwén唸niàn一yì本běn書shū給gěi我wǒ聽tīng， 沒有méiyǒu任何rènhé解釋jiěshì， 說shuō是shì跟gēn母語者mǔyǔzhě一樣yíyàng方式fāngshì學xué中文zhōngwén欸èi， 我wǒ昨天zuótiān买mǎi了le一个yíge可以kěyǐ“ 三sān天tiān内nèi流利liúlì说shuō中文zhōngwén” 的de线上xiànshàng课程kèchéng， 结果jiéguǒ就是jiùshì一个yíge中国人Zhōngguórén用yòng中文zhōngwén念niàn一yì本běn书shū给gěi我wǒ听tīng， 没有méiyǒu任何rènhé解释jiěshì， 说shuō是shì跟gēn母语者mǔyǔzhě一样yíyàng方式fāngshì学xué中文zhōngwén
Hey, I bought this online course yesterday that promised I’d be fluent in Chinese in three days.
Turns out it was just some guy from China reading a book out loud in Chinese with zero explanation.
They said it’s the “natural way” to learn—like how native speakers learn as kids

B: 蛤há？ 真的zhēnde假的jiǎde？ 你nǐ花huā了le多少duōshǎo錢qián？ 蛤há？ 真的zhēnde假的jiǎde？ 你nǐ花huā了le多少duōshǎo钱qián？
What? Seriously? How much did you pay?

A: 快kuài1000 塊kuài…… 快kuài1000 块kuài……
Almost 1000 USD…

B: 哇wā， 那nà你nǐ這zhè筆bǐ智商稅zhìshāngshuì超chāo貴guì哇wā， 那nà你nǐ这zhè笔bǐ智商税zhìshāngshuì超chāo贵guì
Wow, that’s an expensive IQ tax!

A: 我wǒ真的zhēnde學xué到dào一yí課kè： 永遠yǒngyuǎn不要búyào相信xiāngxìn標題biāotí太tài浮誇fúkuā的de廣告guǎnggào我wǒ真的zhēnde学xué到dào一yí课kè： 永远yǒngyuǎn不要búyào相信xiāngxìn标题biāotí太tài浮夸fúkuā的de广告guǎnggào
I definitely learned something: never trust over-the-top ad titles.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

A: 你nǐ看kàn過guò那個nàge「 AI 語音yǔyīn筆bǐ」 的de廣告guǎnggào嗎ma？ 說shuō聽tīng了le就jiù能néng瞬間shùnjiān翻譯fānyì， 感覺gǎnjué超chāo厲害lìhài！ 你nǐ看kàn过guò那个nàge“ AI 语音yǔyīn笔bǐ” 的de广告guǎnggào吗ma？ 说shuō听tīng了le就jiù能néng瞬间shùnjiān翻译fānyì， 感觉gǎnjué超chāo厉害lìhài！
Have you seen that ad for the “AI voice pen”? It says it can instantly translate whatever you hear—it sounds super cool!

B: 我wǒ感覺gǎnjué那nà是shì智商稅zhìshāngshuì耶ye， 如果rúguǒ那麼nàme厲害lìhài不bù可能kěnéng只zhǐ賣mài69 我wǒ感觉gǎnjué那nà是shì智商税zhìshāngshuì耶ye， 如果rúguǒ那么nàme厉害lìhài不bù可能kěnéng只zhǐ卖mài69
Sounds like an IQ tax to me. If it were really that good, it wouldn’t only cost 69.

A: 可是kěshì我wǒ真的zhēnde很hěn想xiǎng去qù中國Zhōngguó旅遊lǚyóu跟gēn當地dāngdì人rén交流jiāoliú可是kěshì我wǒ真的zhēnde很hěn想xiǎng去qù中国Zhōngguó旅游lǚyóu跟gēn当地dāngdì人rén交流jiāoliú
But I really want to travel to China and be able to talk with locals.

B: 你nǐ與其yǔqí花錢huāqián買mǎiAI 語音yǔyīn筆bǐ， 不如bùrú把bǎ那個nàge錢qián拿ná來lái認認真真rènrènzhēnzhēn地de開始kāishǐ學xué中文zhōngwén， 至少zhìshǎo不會búhuì變成biànchéng智商稅zhìshāngshuì你nǐ与其yǔqí花钱huāqián买mǎiAI 语音yǔyīn笔bǐ， 不如bùrú把bǎ那个nàge钱qián拿ná来lái认认真真rènrènzhēnzhēn地de开始kāishǐ学xué中文zhōngwén， 至少zhìshǎo不会búhuì变成biànchéng智商税zhìshāngshuì
hen instead of wasting money on a pen, why not just use that money to actually start learning Chinese? At least that way you’re not paying the IQ tax.

호구세

居然jūrán買mǎi那種nàzhǒng東西dōngxī， 完全wánquán是shì在zài交jiāo智商稅zhìshāngshuì居然jūrán买mǎi那种nàzhǒng东西dōngxī， 完全wánquán是shì在zài交jiāo智商税zhìshāngshuì
저런 물건을 사다니 완전 호구세 냈네.

在zài便利商店biànlìshāngdiàn買mǎi了le貴guì兩倍liǎngbèi的de充電線chōngdiànxiàn， 後來hòulái才cái發現fāxiàn是shì在zài交jiāo智商稅zhìshāngshuì…… 在zài便利商店biànlìshāngdiàn买mǎi了le贵guì两倍liǎngbèi的de充电线chōngdiànxiàn， 后来hòulái才cái发现fāxiàn是shì在zài交jiāo智商税zhìshāngshuì……
편의점에서 두 배 비싼 충전기 샀는데, 알고 보니 호구세였어.

情弱税

去qù買mǎi那nà種zhǒng可疑kěyí的de商品shāngpǐn， 完全wánquán是shì在zài交jiāo智商稅zhìshāngshuì啊a去qù买mǎi那nà种zhǒng可疑kěyí的de商品shāngpǐn， 完全wánquán是shì在zài交jiāo智商税zhìshāngshuì啊a
あんな怪しい商品を買うなんて、完全に情弱税だね。

被bèi社群shèqún媒體méitǐ的de廣告guǎnggào騙piàn去qù買mǎi了le， 結果jiéguǒ完全wánquán是shì交jiāo了le智商稅zhìshāngshuì…… 被bèi社群shèqún媒体méitǐ的de广告guǎnggào骗piàn去qù买mǎi了le， 结果jiéguǒ完全wánquán是shì交jiāo了le智商税zhìshāngshuì……
SNSで見た広告に釣られて買ったけど、完全に情弱税だった……。