What Does 'Шайлушай' Mean? The Russian 'Smurf Cat' Meme Taking Over TikTok Explained

On TikTok as of late, there's a Russian language meme that's crossed the border to the Western internet, centering on a cat-like Smurf called Шайлушай.

The meme has a mystical aura, reading like folklore or a children's nursery rhyme. Inherently, many are wondering what "Шайлушай" actually means. Plus, where did the image of the "Smurf Cat" come from? What is the "We live. We love. We lie" song that plays with the now famous mushroom cat?

Curious about this meme's origin and why it's taken over your "For You" page? Let's explain.

What Does 'Шайлушай' Mean In Russian?

The word "шайлушай" is basically gibberish in the Russian language. Its direct, phonetic translation in English is "shailushai," a plural for the word "shailush."

Despite being semi-nonsensical, the word "шайлушай" is similar to the Russian word "шалопай" which translates directly to "the scamp." "Шалопай" is used similarly in English to "little scoundrel" or "rascal."

What Is The Original 'Шайлушай' Or 'Smurf Cat' Image?

The original image of the Smurf-like creature was created by artist Nate Hallinan in 2014, originally posted to his website in September of that year. The Photoshop art piece was appropriately titled "Smurf Sighting."

Hallinan provided an artist's statement with the piece, writing:

What if Smurfs were real?

The Smurf is actually the result of a symbiotic relationship between two organisms. We believe that Smurfs put their 'embryos' in the button of a developing mushroom. From a distance, Smurfs seem like they are wearing a hat and pants but as you can see this isn't true. The fungus provides camouflage and protective epidermal layers for the creature, while the creature provides nutrients and mobility for the spreading of spores.

Smurfs are believed to be a hunter gatherer society. As you can see, this little guy is returning from a successful venture. It is generally difficult to spot a Smurf; they are very apprehensive and cunning. Sadly though, it is rumored that they are hunted for their medicinal properties. It's hard to determine, but it is thought that there are not many colonies of Smurf left.

Where Did The 'Шайлушай' Meme Come From?

Although the original artwork was created in 2014, Hallinan's Smurf didn't become the meme known as Шайлушай until this year. It all started with a photo slideshow posted by TikToker @ghojam1 a few weeks ago, who made the creature many different colors.

After that post racked up thousands of likes, @ghojam1 posted another slideshow that officially dubbed the little rascal "Шайлушай" in Impact font.

From then on out, meme creators on the app spiraled the creation into a widespread trend, predominantly using the same TikTok sound as the audio. It quickly spread to the Western web, where many English speakers proclaimed, "This probably funny," alluding to their lack of fluency in Russian.

Westerners started calling the creature "Smurf Cat" to make it easier to search. Both of the hashtags "#smurfcat" and "#шайлушай" have since racked up millions of views.

What Is The 'We Live We Love We Lie' Song?

The song used in the Smurf Cat memes is called "The Spectre" by Alan Walker. Of course, the most famous part of the song is when the male singer says, "We live. We love. We lie," right before the beat drops. It was released 2017 but has since become associated with the TikTok meme.

For the full history of Шайлушай, be sure to check out our entry on the meme for even more information.