Baizuo
/ˌbaɪˈtswoʊ/noun
A derogatory Chinese internet term for Western leftists perceived as privileged, naïvely idealistic, or hypocritical.
Did you know?Baizuo is written 白左 in Chinese, combining the character for “white” with the character for “left,” and became prominent in Chinese online political discourse during the 2010s.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
白
“White; the color white, and by extension clarity or plainness in some contexts”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
左
“Left; the left-hand side, later also associated with heterodoxy or deviation in certain expressions”
20th Century
Mandarin Chinese
左
“Left-wing or politically socialist, especially in political vocabulary”
Early 2010s
Mandarin Chinese
白左
“A coined internet insult literally glossed as “white left,” aimed at allegedly privileged Western leftists”
21st Century
English
baizuo
“An English loanword used in discussions of Chinese internet culture and political rhetoric”