Meaning:

This Chinese term literally refers to “black pineapple,” a tropical fruit renowned for its sweetness. However, Chinese netizens humorously use it to express “I like you,” as the Mandarin pronunciation coincidentally matches the Cantonese phrase “喜欢你” (hei fun nei, translated as “I like you”). This meme originated from a popular short video created by a netizen called Onionman in 2015. In the video, he comically transliterated the lyrics of a Cantonese song into Mandarin subtitles, substituting “I like you” with “black pineapple.” An intriguing development occurred when G.E.M., the singer whose voice was used in the spoof, later shared a selfie in 2018 holding a golden pineapple ornament with the caption “finally, it’s not a black pineapple.” This expression is intended to be humorous and is commonly used among close friends or individuals involved in romantic relationships.

Example:

A: 我喜欢一个妹妹的同学很久了。

Wǒ xǐhuan yī ge mèimei de tóngxué hěnjiǔ le。

I’ve developed feelings for a while for one of my younger sister’s classmates.

B: 如果她也对你有好感，就跟她说黑凤梨啊。

Rúguǒ tā yě duì nǐ yǒu hǎogǎn，jiù gēn tā shuō hēifènglí a。

If you sense that she may have feelings for you too, just be straightforward and say, “I like you!”