Slang dictionary · Love and relationships · Chinese internet slang
What does haiwang (海王) mean?
Also written: sea king, 养鱼 (fish farming), hai wang
In short
海王 (hǎiwáng, "sea king") is Chinese slang for a player: someone who flirts with many people at the same time without committing to any of them. It can describe anyone but is most often said of men. The image is that their "fish pond" of romantic interests is so big it has become a sea, and they rule it. The sense is generally said to have caught on around 2018, when the film Aquaman (Chinese title 海王) was a hit in China, along with a viral line about swimming into a guy's fish pond only to find he is the sea king.
Fish, ponds and the sea king
The slang is a whole fishing metaphor. People being strung along are 鱼 ("fish"); all of someone's flirtations together are their 鱼塘 ("fish pond"); keeping them going is 养鱼 ("fish farming"). When the pond overflows, the owner is promoted to 海王, the top rank.
The word itself is old: the classical text Guanzi has a chapter titled 海王 about ruling through sea salt. The dating sense appeared around 2018, when Aquaman was showing in China and a joke spread online: "I thought I'd swum into his fish pond, but he turned out to be the sea king." The very first use is hard to pin down.
How to use it
- 「他跟每个女生都说『你和别人不一样』，妥妥的海王。」 (He tells every girl "you're not like the others". Total player.)
- 「原来我只是他鱼塘里的一条鱼。」 (Turns out I was just one fish in his pond.)
- 「别养鱼了，喜欢谁就认真追。」 (Stop keeping people on the hook; if you like someone, pursue them properly.)
- 「海王的温柔是批发的。」 (A player's sweetness is sold wholesale.)
Similar words
| Term | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 海王 (hǎiwáng) | flirts with many at once | about numbers and insincerity; may have no actual relationship |
| 渣男 (zhānán) | a man who hurts partners | broader: cheating, lying, emotional neglect |
| 中央空调 "central AC" | warm and attentive to everyone | may just be their personality, not deliberate flirting |
| 舔狗 (tiǎngǒu) | keeps pleasing someone who isn't interested | often one of the "fish" in a player's pond |
Tone
海王 is half joke, half criticism. Among friends it is teasing; said to someone's face it accuses them of being insincere in love and can start a fight. Labeling someone a player just because they are friendly to everyone is unfair.
FAQ
How is 海王 different from 渣男?
海王 specifically means flirting with many people at once. 渣男 is broader, any man who treats partners badly. A 海王 is often seen as one type of 渣男.
Can a woman be a 海王?
Yes. The word has no gender, and people also say 女海王 ("female sea king"), though it is most often used about men.
What does 养鱼 mean?
"Fish farming": keeping several romantic interests hanging without rejecting them or committing. They are the fish, and together they make up the fish pond.