Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 Swear Words in Chinese

Normally, we try to keep it pretty PG around here, but the readers have spoken, and people want to learn how to say bad words (坏 话 – huàihuà) in Chinese. That should come as no surprise, since I’m sure most of us would admit that we always seek out the profanity when studying a language.  Especially here in China, when your standing as a 老外 (foreigner) always leaves you prone to being ripped off and taken advantage of, it’s nice to be equipped with a few insults to throw back to show that you’re not fresh off the boat, and you’re not messing around!

Family Related

Not surprisingly, in Chinese, a lot of the most hurtful insults have to do with someone’s mother, or their ancestors. Think “Yo mama” jokes in English, only much worse. Chinese learners should be warned, though, that hurling some of these insults someone’s way could lead to more trouble than is really worth. If a cab driver scams you for 10 kuai or so, it’s not worth it to kick in with the mother and ancestor related insults. I’ve seen plenty of fights get started over these, so proceed with caution. Anyway, here are some of the most commonly used swear words that fall into that category:

他妈的 (tā mā de) – This is a common translation of the English equivalent of “f***,” “shit,” or “damn it.” It literally translates as “his mother’s.” Way back in the 1920s, a famous Chinese writer joked that this should be the country’s national curse word. Keep your ears open, and you’ll probably hear this more than a few times everyday, especially in the big cities.

去 你妈的 (qù nǐ mā de) – wheras the first phrase can simply be used as an exclamation, like when you stub your toe or get cut off on the road, this one is more of a direct insult to someone, and it basically means “f*** off.” It literally translates as “go to your mother.”

Eggs

For some reason, there are plenty of insults in Chinese having to do with eggs. This may have something to do with one particular insult that goes back to the Song Dynasty.

王 八蛋 (wáng bā dàn) – If you use this, you’re basically calling someone a “son of a bitch.” Calling someone a turtle egg is a roundabout way of saying that their mother or grandmother was, well, you know…

混蛋 (hún dàn) – As this translates as “mixed egg,” it means that someone’s mother mated with two men in quick succession, thus meaning that the person has two biological fathers.

坏蛋 (huài dàn) – Literally meaning “bad egg,” this is used to call someone a wicked or just downright bad person. Not quite offensive as the others, this one can be used without fear of causing a fight.

笨蛋 (bèn dàn) – A “stupid egg,” this term is used to call someone a fool/idiot/moron/etc.

滚蛋 (gǔn dàn) – A “rolling egg,” you can use this to tell someone to piss off. Alternatively, you can also say 滚开 (gǔn kāi). I use this to ward off hawks and beggars on the streets, especially around big tourist attractions wher they refuse to leave you alone.

Misc.

吃屎 (chī shǐ) – “Eat shit” – this one speaks for itself.

二百五 (Èr bǎi wǔ) – Calling someone “250″ basically means they are stupid, useless, good for nothing, etc.

花 花公子 (huā huā gōng zǐ) – Used for guys, the “flower flower prince” means playboy, and can be used with either a negative or positive connotation, just as in English.