shèkǒng

Meaning:

The full name is “社交恐惧症,” directly translated from the English term “social phobia.” More commonly known as social anxiety disorder (SAD) today, it is an anxiety disorder characterized by a significant amount of fear in one or more social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life. Physical symptoms often include excessive blushing, excess sweating, trembling, palpitations and nausea. However, in the Chinese context, many people who use the term to describe themselves or their friends are simply exaggerating. Some are shy nerds who prefer to stay home playing games, and others are exhausted workers who just want some alone time.

Example:

A: 周末有空出来吃饭不？

Zhōumò yǒukòng chūlái chīfàn bu？

How about dinner this weekend?

B: 还是算了吧，我最近感觉有点儿社恐。

Háishì suànleba，wǒ zuìjìn gǎnjué yǒudiǎnr shèkǒng。

I’ll pass. Lately I feel like I’m suffering from social anxiety disorder a bit.

A: 你这不是社恐，叫戏多。不想出来就在家休息

吧。

Nǐ zhè búshì shèkǒng，jiào xìduō。Bù xiǎng chūlái jiù zàijiā xiūxī ba。

Don’t be such a drama queen. You’re not suffering from SAD. Take a rest at home if you like.