Meaning:

    “撩” means to “tease,” and “菜” refers to “dishes.” Originating from the Shanghai dialect and often used at nightclubs and cafes, this slang term refers to a man trying to grab the attention of a woman and make advances on her. The verb “撩” is also used in similar terms like “撩汤” (try a soup) meaning “flirting with a man” and “撩火腿” (try a ham) meaning “a man looking to hook up with a rich woman.”

    Example:

    A: 周六你去哪里了？

    Zhōulìu nǐ qù nǎlǐ le?

    Where did you go Saturday?

    B: 上午睡觉下午踢足球，晚上去夜总会撩菜。

    Shàngwǔ shuìjiào xiàwǔ tī zúqíu, wǎnshàng qù yèzǒnghuì liáocài。

    I was home sleeping in the morning, went to play soccer in the afternoon and spent the evening at a nightclub trying to pick up a hot chick.

    A: 你的生活真是丰富多彩啊。

    Nǐ de shēnghuó zhēn shì fēngfù duōcǎi a。

    You live such a colorful life.