定个小目标

Set a Modest Little Goal
dìng gè xiǎo mùbiāo
What Does It Mean?

Born when billionaire Wang Jianlin casually told Chinese youth on TV to 'set a modest little goal first — like making 100 million yuan.' The absurdity was instant: 100 million yuan is roughly $15 million USD. Chinese netizens seized on it to mock the jaw-dropping disconnect between the ultra-rich and ordinary people, and the phrase quickly became the go-to sarcastic opener for any hilariously unrealistic ambition.

Cultural Context

China's explosive economic growth created extreme wealth inequality by the mid-2010s. Self-made billionaires like Wanda Group's Wang Jianlin became media celebrities, but their casual advice to struggling youth highlighted a vast class divide. The meme captured a generation's mix of dark humor, economic anxiety, and weary resignation toward get-rich platitudes that felt utterly out of touch.

中文解释

源自王健林采访语录"先定个小目标,比如挣它一个亿",讽刺富人对财富的轻描淡写。

How It's Used
先定个小目标,比如把这周的作业写完。
Let's set a modest little goal first — like actually finishing this week's homework.
他说先定个小目标,结果目标是买套北京的房子。
He said he just wanted to set a modest little goal — turns out the goal was buying an apartment in Beijing.
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