ETYMOLOGY
The term "Green Tea Bitch" originated around 2013 in Chinese online communities, closely tied to the then-popular "green tea" culture.
Initially, "green tea" was a relatively neutral term in Chinese internet culture, describing young women who enjoyed drinking green tea and pursued a healthy lifestyle. However, with the development of social media, the term gradually took on new meanings.
In 2013, a post titled "How to Identify a Green Tea Bitch" went viral across major forums. This post detailed various characteristics of the "Green Tea Bitch," including:
Posting selfies on social media while pretending it's casual
Frequently sharing seemingly artistic but actually pretentious captions
Acting particularly vulnerable and in need of help around men
Displaying a completely different personality around female friends
The term's popularity was also connected to the social context of the time. With the rise of social media, people became more focused on managing their online personas. Some women began deliberately crafting specific images to gain more attention and resources, sparking discussions and reflections among netizens.
Interestingly, the popularity of this term spawned a series of related internet slang, such as "Red Tea Bitch" (referring to an outgoing Green Tea Bitch) and "Milk Tea Bitch" (referring to a Green Tea Bitch who likes to act cute). While these terms carry a teasing nature, they also reflect people's observations and thoughts on certain social phenomena.
In popular culture, this term frequently appears in TV shows and web novels. Many screenwriters and authors create such characters to drive plot development or use them as cautionary examples to explore issues in interpersonal relationships.
Example sentences:
"She's always posting those artsy photos on WeChat Moments and claiming to be innocent - that's a classic Green Tea Bitch move."
"That girl has a boyfriend but keeps asking other guys for help - definitely a Green Tea Bitch."
Cultural note: While this term is widely used online, it does carry certain gender-discriminatory undertones. As society's discussion of gender issues deepens, many people have begun to reflect on whether the use of such terms is appropriate. This reminds us to be mindful of avoiding harm to others when using internet slang.