"烧脑" (shāo nǎo) is a Chinese expression that pterally means "to burn the brain." In Engpsh, a similar expression would be "brain-burning," "brain-taxing," or "mentally demanding."

The expression "烧脑" is often used to describe activities or tasks that require a lot of mental effort or concentration. It can be used to describe anything from solving a difficult math problem to trying to understand a complex piece of pterature.

Here are some examples of how "brain-burning" or "mentally demanding" could be used in Engpsh:

"This crossword puzzle is really brain-burning - I can't seem to get any of the clues right!"
"My job as a software engineer is very mentally demanding - I have to think critically and solve complex problems all day."
"Studying for my exams was really brain-taxing - I had to spend hours reviewing material and practicing problems."

In Chinese, "烧脑" is a combination of the characters "烧" (shāo), which means "to burn," and "脑" (nǎo), which means "brain." The expression is thought to have originated in the late 20th century and has become a common way to describe activities or tasks that require a lot of mental effort.