With 2013 nearly coming to an end, one rather quirky event has looked back on the year and recounted and tallied up some of the most used words in China over the year, and has come up with quite a surprising list.

An online poll watched over by experts has uncovered some of the most commonly used words in China. Among them are words like "House", "Positive Energy", and "Mandela". Other words on the list include "dream", "anti-corruption", "frugality", "postponed retirement", and "Snowden". The list also includes "Diaoyu island" and "Turmoil in the Middle East", all indicative of grassroots concerns and a desire to keep up with major world issues.

China's list of 2013's buzzwords

"Buzz words help us to detect problems during social transition. They reflect the public's expectation for improvement in society. They capture the happiness and sorrow of the past year and carry with them the good wishes of the people for the future." said Zhu Huaxin, Judge From People's Daily.

But the list has its share of funny worlds too. Words like "Tu Hao" translated to "nouveau riche", "Nv Hanzi" translated to "Female Man" are also on the list of top ten most used words.

"Tu Hao" is a very popular word.

China's list of 2013's buzzwords

"I myself am a "Female Man". Many of my room-mates are all "Female Men"."

"Tu Hao" or "Female Man" is an example of a funny concoction of words in Mandarin. They reflect people's wish to relax." said Nie Congcong, Producer, Lecture Room, CCTV.

"Gao Da Shang" which has become a buzz-word among youngsters this year, to depict things that are high-end, deluxe and of high quality, is also on the list of the yearly hot words. It's the eighth year of the event that chooses the buzz words in use in China.

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