If we’re being honest with ourselves, one of the most enjoyable aspects of learning a new language is discovering ‘naughty’ words. If you disagree with this sentiment, then this article is definitely not for you.
In this mega-list of 101 Chinese naughty words, you will learn everything from the more ‘PG-13’ insults to the downright vulgar and obscene.
As there is a fairly large collection of bad words in this post, we have divided our mega-list of filth into different categories. If you’re looking for something specific, check out the hyperlinks below.
However, before we get started, you must be warned…
THIS POST CONTAINS VERY STRONG LANGUAGE!
Some of you might be thinking ‘Well thank you, Captain Obvious.’ However, I must make it crystal clear – when I say this post contains ‘strong’ language, I really do mean strong language.
You might have seen a few other blog posts or YouTube videos revealing ‘strong language’ in Mandarin Chinese, but they rarely reveal anything more controversial than ‘放屁’ (fart) or ‘屎‘ (poop) in order to keep sponsors and advertisers happy.
Well, I don’t care about that stuff. I only care about bad language.
So, once again, be aware that there are some hardcore words in this post.
Common Curse Words | Universal Insults in Mandarin | Body Parts | Sexual Stuff | Mother Insults | The Egg | The Toilet | Creative Chinese Insults
Common Curse Words
The first section of our Chinese swear words guide is dedicated to common or well-known words you may come across in casual conversation or arguments.
Some of these words are rather tame, but there are one or two stronger ones that the Chinese use quite a lot.
坏人 (huàirén) = “bad person“
Literally translated as ‘bad person’, this is a more general term for any kind of “wrong ‘un” in Chinese, from sex traffickers to people who sell low-quality phone cases. You’ll probably hear this if someone wants to call someone much worse but they’re trying to be more polite or politically correct.
傻逼 (shǎbī) = “stupid cunt“
A lot of foreigners in China believe this insult is the equivalent to ‘stupid cunt’. However, many bilingual people claim that 逼 is a bit tamer than ‘cunt’. Granted, 逼 is still considered a somewhat childish or vulgar term for vagina in Mandarin, but this phrase isn’t the harshest thing you can say in Mandarin (we’ll get to that later).
他妈的 (tā mā de) = “his mother’s“
This is kind of like the English version of “damn it”. Someone who speaks English might think it would be much more offensive given the inclusion of ‘mother’, but not in China. There are ways to make this insult a bit spicier, as we’ll find out later.
二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ) = “250”
Calling someone a ‘250’ is like calling them ‘stupid’ or ‘idiot’. Its origins lie in an old joke when the Chinese currency was copper coins. 1000 copper coins was a full stack, and someone who was ‘a 500’ was considered a bit of a halfwit. Being a 250 is kind of like being ‘half of a half’, aka really stupid.
肏 (cào) = “fuck“
In the same way as English, this word is rather common but still quite rude. It can be used when insulting someone, or when you’re surprised or you’ve stubbed your toe. You might hear quite a few Chinese folks using 靠 (kào) as well as 肏 (cào).
蛋 (dàn) = “egg“
The ‘egg’ is by far the most versatile swear word in Mandarin Chinese. There are a few insults that include the egg as you’ll find out later. We have our own section in this post dedicated to the egg, that’s how special it is!
拍马屁 (pāimǎpì) = “brown nose“
There are many different words in English for those who ‘suck up’, probably because it’s one of the most annoying personality traits ever. This phrase basically means ‘to pat the horse’s bum’. If you want to keep a horse happy, I guess you have to touch its arse from time to time!
Want to know how to describe farts in Mandarin? Check out our funny, bitesize lessons on YouTube!
Universal Insults in Mandarin
Here we have a very large collection of insults you’re probably already familiar with in English.
Some of them are more commonly used than others, and some aren’t quite as vicious as their English translations, but rest assured that saying these words to strangers who speak Mandarin will cause a reaction!
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
| ass kisser (lit. ‘lick ass’) | 舔屁股 | tiǎn pìgu |
| baldy | 秃子 | tūzi |
| bastard (lit. ‘mixed egg’) | 混蛋 | húndàn |
| ‘big boobs no brain’ (bimbo) | 胸大无脑 | xiōng dà wú nǎo |
| bitch (loan word) | 碧池 | bì chí |
| bullshit (lit. ‘dog fart’) | 狗屁 | gǒupì |
| bum (tramp) | 瘪三 | biē sān |
| douchebag (lit. ‘evil stick’) | 恶棍 | ègùn |
| dumb (lit. ‘brain with bubbles’) | 脑子有泡 | nǎozi yǒu pào |
| evil | 恶 | è |
| fat | 胖 | pàng |
| fool (lit. ‘stupid one’) | 傻子 | shǎzi |
| fuck | 肏 | cào |
| get lost (lit. ‘roll away’) | 滚开 | gǔn kāi |
| gold digger (lit. ‘worship money girl’) | 拜金女 | bàijīn nǚ |
| idiot (lit. ‘white madness’) | 白痴 | báichī |
| loser | 失败者 | shībài zhě |
| obese (lit. ‘fat fat’) | 肥胖 | féipàng |
| pervert (lit. ‘change form’) | 变态 | biàntài |
| scumbag (lit. ‘human dregs’) | 人渣 | rén zhā |
| shit | 屎 | shǐ |
| son of a bitch (lit. ‘mixed race’) | 杂种 | zázhǒng |
| suck up (lit. ‘taste excrement’) | 尝粪 | cháng fèn |
| stuck up (lit. ‘shelf full’) | 架子十足 | jiàzi shízú |
| stupid (lit. ‘fool fool’) | 愚蠢 | yúchǔn |
| weirdo (lit. ‘strange person’) | 怪人 | guàirén |
Body Parts
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
| anus | 肝门 | gāng mén |
| ass | 屁股 | pìgu |
| breasts | 胸 (formal) 奶奶 (childish) 米米 (slang) | xiōng nǎinai mǐmǐ |
| butthole | 菊花 (slang, also meaning ‘chrysanthemum) | júhuā |
| clitoris | 阴蒂 | yīndì |
| foreskin | 包皮 | bāopí |
| labia | 阴唇 | yīnchún |
| nipple | 奶头 | nǎitóu |
| penis | 阴茎 (formal) 鸡鸡 (childish) 鸡巴 (slang) | yīnjīng jī jī jībā |
| perineum | 会阴 | huìyīn |
| pubic hair | 阴毛 | yīnmáo |
| testicles | 卵子 蛋蛋 (slang) | luǎnzǐ dàn dàn |
| urethra | 尿道 | niàodào |
| vagina | 阴道 (formal) 淫穴 (crude, a bit like ‘pussy’ or ‘twat’) 逼 (the closest thing to ‘cunt’ in Mandarin) | yīndào yínxué bī |
Sexual Stuff
| anal sex (lit. ‘pop chrysanthemum’) | 爆菊花 | bào júhuā |
| bent (a derogatory term for gay) | 弯的 | wān de |
| blowjob (slang, lit. ‘to blow the bamboo flute’) | 吹箫 | chuī xiāo |
| cunnilingus | 舔阴 | tiǎn yīn |
| deepthroat | 深喉 | shēn hóu |
| ejaculate | 射精 打炮 (slang, lit. ‘to fire a gun’)) | shèjīng dǎpào |
| facesitting | 颜面骑乘 | yánmiàn qí chéng |
| fingering | 指交 | zhǐ jiāo |
| fuck buddy | 啪友 | pā yǒu |
| glans | 龟头 | guītóu |
| horny | 好色 | hàosè |
| masturbate | 手淫 (lit. ‘hand obscene’) | shǒuyín |
| moaning in bed | 叫床 | jiào chuáng |
| nymphomaniac | 色情狂 | sèqíng kuáng |
| oral sex | 口交 | kǒujiāo |
| orgasm | 高潮 | gāocháo |
| period | 来月经 大姨妈 | lái yuèjīng dà yímā |
| pervert | 性变态 | xìng biàntài |
| pornography | 色情作品 (formal) 动作片 (slang, lit. ‘action movie’) | sèqíng zuòpǐn dòngzuò piàn |
| prostitute | 妓女 小姐 (slang, lit. ‘Miss’) | jìnǚ xiǎojiě |
| semen | 精液 | jīngyè |
| squirt, female ejaculation | 潮吹 | cháochuī |
| sperm | 精虫 | jīngchóng |
| slut | 贱人 | jiàn rén |
| sodomy | 鸡奸 | jījiān |
| submissive | 服服帖帖 | fúfú tiētiē |
| tart (also slut, quite commonly used) | 骚货 | sāo huò |
| teabagging | 吊茶包 | diào chá bāo |
| tit wank/titty fuck | 乳交 | rǔjiāo |
| to cum | 射精 | shèjīng |
| to cum in someone’s mouth | 口射 | kǒu shè |
| to cum in someone’s face | 颜射 | yánshè |
| to have sex | 做爱 (make love) 性爱 (have sex) 啪啪啪 (slang, lit. ‘bang bang bang’) | zuò’ài xìng’ài pā pā pā |
| to visit a prostitute | 嫖娼 | piáochāng |
Mother Insults
Unfortunately, we live in a sexist world, and many more insults are centered around the mother and not the father in every language.
Mandarin Chinese is no different.
- 他妈的 (tā mā de) = probably the most common saying about the mother, and as mentioned earlier, this is more of an exclamation. Kind of like ‘dam it!’
- 他妈的鸟 (tā mā de niǎo) = still an exclamation but stronger than the last one. Here, 鸟 (bird) is used as a euphamism for dick.
- 去你妈的 (qù nǐ mā de) = we’re getting into the ‘insulting’ territory now, although this one is very mild and often used playfully. Basically means ‘go to your Mother’.
- 你妈的逼 (nǐ mā de bī) = ‘Your Mother’s cunt’. As you can see, we’re really upping the ante now with some strong stuff. This is a very strong one.
- 肏你妈 (cào nǐ mā) = ‘Fuck your mother’. Again, very strong and I’ve only ever heard this in very heated arguments in China.
And now, I present to you what is probably the most offensive insult in Mandarin Chinese. This one is strong, just as strong as it is in English.
The ‘Egg’
Many insults in Mandarin Chinese revolve around the egg. This always shocked me, as the egg is a strong, staple breakfast food in China, so I don’t know why they’d want to degrade it in such a way.
However, eggs do smell, so there’s that.
Anyway, below is a collection of insults including the word ‘egg’.
Be aware that different ‘egg’ insults carry different levels of extremity in Mandarin Chinese, but none of them are the worst of the worst.
Exercise caution and don’t use these words in the workplace.
Not Very Offensive
- 坏蛋 (huàidàn) = Literally a ‘bad egg’.
- 滚蛋 (gǔndàn) = 滚 means to roll, so this one basically means to ‘roll away’ or to ‘get lost!’
- 懒蛋 (lǎn dàn) = 懒 means ‘lazy’. A prent might call their child a ‘lazy egg’ is they stay in bed too late.
Moderately Offensive
- 笨蛋 (bèndàn) = calling someone a ‘stupid egg’ has a bit more of a bite to it in Mandarin. I guess people just don’t like being called dumb.
- 糊涂蛋 (hútú dàn) = a confused and simple egg. This is for someone who’s a little bit on the stupid side.
- 混蛋 (hún dàn) = kind of like ‘mixed egg’, this one is fairly close to ‘bastard’. It means that someone’s mother mated with two men in quick succession.
- 王八蛋 (wángbā dàn) = 王八 means turtle in Mandarin, but is also slang for a man who’s cuckolded. By throwing an ‘egg’ on the end, it becomes a bit more intense.
The Toilet
| diarrhea | 腹泻 (formal medical term) 拉肚子 (commonly used) | fùxiè lādùzi |
| to fart | 放屁 | fàngpì |
| to piss | 撒尿 | sāniào |
| to shit | 拉屎 | lāshǐ |
| to vomit | 呕吐 | ǒutù |
Creative Chinese Insults
Many of the above are direct translations of naughty words used throughout the world in many different languages, but the Chinese are just as creative as the rest of us when it comes to coining insults and bad language.
One thing I particularly enjoy about Mandarin Chinese is that even the most disgusting of language can occasionally sound incredibly poetic.
On top of that, the direct translations of some of the following terms are very amusing in English.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the following are some of my favourite Chinese insults:
- 吃软饭 (chī ruǎn fàn) “To eat soft rice” – this is a term used to describe a man who is living off his girlfriend.
- 小白脸 (xiǎo bái liǎn) “Little white face” – a naiive young man who is easily taken advantage of.
- 绿茶婊 (lǜ chá biào) “Green Tea Bitch” – a girl who acts all nice but is actually fake and quite horrible. This one is pretty strong.
- 打飞机 (dǎ fēijī) “Hit the plane” – a slang term for male masturbation.
- 品玉 (pǐnyù) “Evaluating jade” – this is a rather delightful term for cunnilingus.
- 毒龙钻 (dúlóng zuān) “Drilling for poisonous dragons” – a slang term for anilingus
- 戴绿帽子 (dài lǜmàozi) “To wear a green hat” – a term for a cuckold which comes from the Tang dynasty when male prostitutes had to wear green hats.
- 叫你生孩子没屁股眼 (jiào nǐ shēng háizi méi pìgu yǎn) “May your child be born with an imperforate anus.” – No explanation needed for this one. Just enjoy it.
- 肏你祖宗十八代 (cào nǐ zǔzōng shíbā dài) “Fuck your ancestors to the eighteenth generation” – perhaps the coolest way to tell someone to fuck off. Like, ever.
- 牛逼 (niúbī) “Cow’s vagina” – a very common positive term meaning ‘awesome!’ Thought to have derived from the phrase 吹牛皮 (chuī niú pí) meaning ‘to brag’.
Summary
Although there are many direct translations from English to Mandarin, not all of the naughty words above carry the same weight as their English counterparts.
For example, you might think that calling someone a ‘green tea bitch’ in English would probably be a bit more playful and amusing, but it’s quite a strong insult in Mandarin and it brings about some pretty strong reactions in China.
The only real way to find out how bad a word is, is to spend time with Mandarin speakers, gain their trust, and then ask them about a particular word.
I hope you’re never in a situation where you insult a Mandarin speaker using the terms included in this post. If you get into any trouble , pretend you don’t know me.
再见！
Further Reading
- 100+ MANDARIN LEARNING RESOURCES: THE FASTEST WAY TO FLUENCY
- Learn Chinese for FREE | Free Apps, Sites, Courses, and Media
- The 21 Best Apps For Learning Mandarin Chinese
- THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LEARNING CHINESE IN CHINA
- 14 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN MANDARIN CHINESE
- STUDYING MANDARIN AT A UNIVERSITY IN CHINA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- 100+ PODCASTS FOR LEARNING CHINESE | BEGINNER TO ADVANCED MATERIAL
- 101 TV SHOWS FOR CHINESE LEARNERS