舔狗 (tiǎn gǒu) literally means 'lick dog.' In internet slang, it describes someone who relentlessly pursues a person who clearly isn't interested — showering them with attention, gifts, and availability while getting nothing in return. The closest English equivalent is 'simp.' The term is almost always derogatory, though it's very commonly used as self-deprecating humor. People announce '我是舔狗' (I'm a simp) before doing something embarrassing for their crush, turning the insult into a confession.

The term first appeared on Baidu Tieba around 2016 as an extreme evolution of 备胎 (spare tire / backup lover). A dedicated 舔狗吧 (Simp Forum) on Tieba became ground zero for the meme. By 2018, the catchphrase '舔狗舔到最后一无所有' (the simp ends up with nothing) had gone mega-viral — a Zhihu thread debating the phrase generated thousands of responses and cemented it in mainstream vocabulary. The term got a further boost when rapper GAI used the line on The Rap of China, and later when billionaire Wang Sicong described his own behavior as simp-like on Weibo, broadening its usage beyond romance into self-aware internet humor.

备胎 (bèi tāi, 'spare tire') describes someone kept around as a backup romantic option — the emphasis is on the role assigned to them by the other person. A 备胎 might not even realize they're a fallback. 舔狗 describes the behavior itself — actively, shamelessly, and persistently pursuing someone despite getting nothing in return. The simp knows they're being ignored but can't stop. A 舔狗 is defined by their undignified pursuit; a 备胎 is defined by their position as someone's Plan B. The two often overlap, but 舔狗 is considered a more extreme, self-aware version.

舔狗日记 (Simp Diaries) is a meme literary genre where the narrator records daily interactions with their crush, finding increasingly delusional ways to interpret rejection as affection. One classic entry: when the crush texts '滚' (get lost), the narrator notes that the character's three water-radical strokes must represent her longing flowing like rushing water. A dedicated website (we.dog) collects and ranks the best entries. GitHub projects track and upvote the most painfully accurate quotes, and meme generators let users create panda-head 舔狗日记 images. The format works because it's simultaneously hilarious and uncomfortably recognizable.

Not exactly — it's used in three distinct modes. First, as a sympathetic warning: '醒醒吧，舔狗舔到最后一无所有' (wake up — simps end up with nothing). Second, as merciless roasting of a friend's desperate behavior. Third, and most commonly, as self-deprecating confession — people proudly announce their simp status before doing something embarrassing for their crush. There's even an optimistic counter-catchphrase: '舔到最后应有尽有' (simp till the end and you'll have everything), offering the fairy-tale version where persistence pays off. Cultural critics note that the humorous framing can obscure real power imbalances in relationships.