What does 私信 mean?

私信 is the Chinese DM — the private message feature that exists on public social platforms. On Weibo, you 私信 someone to talk privately rather than in public comments. On Douyin and Xiaohongshu, 私信 is how followers reach creators directly and how brands send collaboration inquiries.

The distinction matters by platform:

• Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu — 私信 is the correct word. These are public platforms where messaging is a secondary feature.
• WeChat — people say 发消息 (send a message) or 微信我 (WeChat me). All WeChat messages are already private, so 私信 would be redundant.
• QQ — similar to WeChat. Just 发消息.

The phrase 私信你了 (I DM’d you) is the standard notification that you’ve sent someone a private message. Creators with large followings will often say 私信太多, 回复不过来 (too many DMs, can’t reply to them all). Businesses on Xiaohongshu use 私信 for customer service inquiries.

The cultural note: 私信 is a relatively formal way to initiate contact with a stranger. Sliding into someone’s DMs with romantic intent doesn’t have a direct Chinese equivalent phrase, but the action is understood — sending an unsolicited 私信 to a stranger on Weibo or Douyin with flirtatious intent carries the same energy as the English “sliding into DMs.”