Chinese video streaming platform Bilibili has unveiled its word of the year for 2023, and it’s as simple as it is surprising: ‘Ah?’. This single-character expression, written as ‘a’ in pinyin and typically followed by a question mark, has emerged as the most frequently used interrogative clause on the platform, with over 13.2 million occurrences this year. Its prevalence, particularly in Bilibili’s signature “bullet comments” feature, signifies a unique cultural phenomenon among the platform’s predominantly young audience.
Shanghai-based Bilibili has become a hub for youth expression, with its bullet comments – streaming horizontally across videos – becoming a defining feature. These comments are not just mere annotations; they represent a vibrant, real-time conversation unfolding among viewers. The platform credited ‘Ah?’ as the most representative bullet comment of 2023, highlighting its diverse usage to express excitement, surprise, or disbelief.
The word ‘Ah?’ has become a versatile tool in the hands of Bilibili’s users, often employed in response to content showcasing extraordinary skills, scientific advancements, or significant cultural events. For instance, when China’s state-owned nuclear power corporation announced a breakthrough in creating an “artificial sun”, a related video on the China Central Television’s military channel was inundated with ‘Ah?’ comments. The video, detailing the development in nuclear fusion technology, garnered close to a million views and 70,000 likes, with viewers expressing their awe and curiosity through this simple yet powerful expression.
Similarly, the gaming community on Bilibili used ‘Ah?’ to express their excitement for the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s gameplay trailer. This reaction underlines the platform’s evolution from an anime-focused site to a broad video platform catering to the interests of Millennials and Gen Z users. As of the third quarter, Bilibili reported a 14% growth in daily active users, reaching 102.8 million, despite not turning a profit since its Nasdaq debut in 2018.
Bilibili’s influence extends beyond video streaming; it has become a trendsetter in internet vernacular. Since 2017, the platform has annually highlighted the most popular bullet comments, revealing evolving linguistic trends among young Chinese netizens. The 2022 word of the year, ‘youya’, meaning ‘elegant’ or ‘graceful’, and 2021’s ‘pofangle’, conveying emotional vulnerability, illustrate the diverse ways in which users engage with content and each other.
The prominence of ‘Ah?’ in 2023 is more than just a statistic; it represents the dynamic, expressive nature of online communication on Bilibili. It shows how a single character can encapsulate a range of emotions and reactions, becoming a linguistic symbol of the times.
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