What does 群聊 mean?

群聊 is where Chinese life is organized. Work projects run through WeChat or DingTalk groups. Family coordination happens in the 家庭群 (family group). Students organize in class groups. Neighbors coordinate in building groups. Every event, hobby, trip, and project spawns at least one 群聊.

The group chat vocabulary:

• 群主 (qún zhǔ) — group owner/creator. The person who can add/remove members, change the group name, and post announcements. Being 群主 is a minor social responsibility.
• 群公告 (qún gōnggào) — group announcement. The @所有人 (at everyone) notification that the 群主 can send. These are expected to be read by all members.
• 群接龙 (qún jiē lóng) — group chain/relay. A WeChat feature where members fill in a form by replying in sequence — used for sign-ups, orders, and attendance.
• 拉群 (lā qún) — create/pull together a group. “我拉个群” = “I’ll create a group (and add you all).”
• 退群 (tuì qún) — leave the group. Leaving a work group without explanation is socially significant.

The cultural reality: Chinese professionals often have WeChat groups blurring work-life boundaries. A manager might message the work group at 9pm. The expectation to reply is real but varies by industry and company culture. The phrase 消息免打扰 (mute notifications) on groups is essential survival knowledge — you’ll need it for the groups you can’t leave but can’t constantly monitor.