zheng nengliang (正能量)
Chinese buzzword for upbeat, socially uplifting speech.
Meaning
It denotes healthy, optimistic and socially uplifting words or actions. The tone is earnest and encouraging in official use, ironic when used by critics. It is used by state media, officials, teachers and ordinary users.
Origin
The exact first use as slang is unknown. The supplied source notes its use as a political slogan by Xi Jinping and Wang Qishan. In 2012 the magazine Yao Wen Jiao Zi listed zheng nengliang among China's top 10 online buzzwords. That listing fixed 2012 as its breakout year.
How it's used
People add it to stories of kindness, hard work or recovery. It functions as a noun and as an attributive modifier. It does not inflect.
Example
His post about night-shift volunteers was full of zheng nengliang.
Variants & related
Simplified form is 正能量, traditional form is 正能量. The opposite is fu nengliang, negative energy. Related official phrases include main melody and positive guidance. Ironic spin-offs use it to label forced optimism.
Common misunderstandings
Outsiders sometimes read it as a physics term. In slang use it means social mood, not electrical power. Using it sincerely in a cynical thread can sound like propaganda.