Chinese swear word library — all entries ranked by severity

5family

草泥马 cǎo ní mǎ Closest to "motherfucker" — but note the Chinese target is specifically the mother as a person, not you.

5group

洋鬼子 yáng guǐ zi The weight of "foreign devil" — a xenophobic slur, do not bandy it about

5family

日你妈 rì nǐ mā The closest English equivalent is "fuck your mother" / "motherfucker" — a direct, no-holds-barred declaration of war.

5group

婊子 biǎo zi Closest to "whore" or "slut", but in Mandarin it lands harder — nearer to spitting "you filthy slut" in someone's face.

5threat

弄死你 nòng sǐ nǐ Closest to "I'll kill you" / "I'll end you"

4ability

傻逼 shǎ bī Closest to "idiot", "dumbass", "stupid fuck"

4family

杂种 zá zhǒng Closest to "mongrel", "half-breed" — note this carries racial insult in English too

4animal

畜生 chù sheng Closest to "animal", "beast", "you're not even human"

4family

断子绝孙 duàn zǐ jué sūn No true English equivalent; nearest is a wish that someone's line dies out

4threat

找死 zhǎo sǐ Closest to "you have a death wish", "don't push me"

4family

狗日的 gǒu rì de Closest to "son of a bitch" — it curses the person through the mother.

4animal

狗崽子 gǒu zǎi zi Closest to "son of a bitch" or "little bastard" — it curses the person by way of the animal they came from.

4family

龟儿子 guī ér zi Closest to "son of a bitch" or "bastard" — an attack on someone's parentage.

4group

贱人 jiàn rén Closest to "bitch" or "cheap slut", but the core charge is moral worthlessness rather than sexual looseness

4family

妈了个巴子 mā le ge bā zi Closest to "motherfucker" or a snarled "goddamn it" — the amplified, northern-accented version of 你妈的

4threat

你死定了 nǐ sǐ dìng le Closest to "you're dead", "you're done for", "you're finished"

4family

你祖宗十八代 nǐ zǔ zōng shí bā dài Closest to "you and every ancestor you ever had" — dragging your entire bloodline down with you

4family

王八羔子 wáng ba gāo zi Closest to "son of a bitch" or "bastard" — it attacks someone's origin, not their behaviour

4threat

信不信我抽你 xìn bù xìn wǒ chōu nǐ Closest to "Say that again and I'll slap you" or "Don't make me hit you."

4family

野种 yě zhǒng Closest to "bastard" or "son of a bitch", but with the added sting of "of unknown origin"

4group

人渣 rén zhā Closest to "scum", "human trash", "you piece of garbage"

3profanity

混蛋 hún dàn Closest to "bastard", "jerk", "scumbag"

3internet

SB shǎ bī Closest to "wtf" or a lazy "idiot"

3family

王八蛋 wáng bā dàn Closest to "son of a bitch", "bastard"

3ability

神经病 shén jīng bìng Closest to "you're insane", "psycho", "nuts"

3family

你大爷 nǐ dà yé Closest to "screw you", "get out of here", "my ass"

3profanity

装逼 zhuāng bī Closest to "show-off", "pretentious", "flexing too hard"

3animal

白眼狼 bái yǎn láng Closest to "ungrateful bastard", "you bit the hand that fed you"

3group

你算老几 nǐ suàn lǎo jǐ Closest to "who do you think you are", "who asked you"

3group

乡巴佬 xiāng bā lǎo Closest to "hick", "bumpkin", "yokel"

3group

绿茶婊 lǜ chá biǎo Closest to "pick-me", "manipulative attention-seeker" — with no equivalent profane suffix

3ability

白痴 bái chī Closest to "idiot" or "moron" — heavier than 笨蛋 (dummy), lighter than 脑残 (brain-dead)

3ability

不要脸 bù yào liǎn Closest to "shameless", "you have no shame", "the nerve of you"

3ability

蠢货 chǔn huò Closest to "idiot", "moron", "dumbass" — but more bookish and more like a final verdict

3ability

蠢猪 chǔn zhū Closest to "stupid pig" or "dumbass" — the animal framing makes it harsher than plain "stupid"

3ability

二逼 èr bī Closest to "idiot", "moron", "dumbass" — cruder and more mocking than plain "stupid"

3ability

废物 fèi wù Closest to "useless piece of crap", "dead weight", "you're worthless".

3animal

狗东西 gǒu dōngxi Closest to "you bastard" or "you piece of shit" — a person judged to be beneath contempt.

3profanity

滚蛋 gǔn dàn Closest to "get lost", "piss off", "beat it" — a blunt order to remove yourself.

3internet

憨批 hān pī Closest to "idiot" or "dumbass", but softer and more playful than dumbass — it carries a hint of "cluelessly cute" that English lacks in one word

3profanity

混账 hùn zhàng Closest to "you bastard" or "you're a disgrace" — it attacks someone's basic decency, not their intelligence.

3internet

键盘侠 jiàn pán xiá Closest to "keyboard warrior" or "armchair activist": someone who talks tough online and does nothing offline.

3internet

巨婴 jù yīng Closest to "man-child" or "adult baby" — a grown body with an infant's emotional wiring

3animal

狼心狗肺 láng xīn gǒu fèi Closest to "you're heartless", "you've got no conscience at all" — a moral condemnation, not a physical one.

3euphemism

妈卖批 mā mài pī Closest to "motherfucker" or "son of a bitch" as an insult, but far more often used as a "fuck this" outburst

3ability

脑残 nǎo cán Closest to "brain-dead" or "a few fries short of a Happy Meal"; the older English equivalent "retarded" is now taboo.

3family

娘希匹 niáng xī pǐ Closest to "god damn it" or "you bastard" — but with an old-timey, rustic bite

3ability

弱智 ruò zhì Closest to "retarded", "moron", "idiot"

3ability

傻缺 shǎ quē Closest to "idiot", "moron", "you absolute clown" — a notch lighter than 傻逼 but still a direct insult to someone's face.

3ability

是个东西吗 shì ge dōngxi ma Closest to "who do you think you are?" or "you're nothing." It denies a person's standing, not just their skill.

3family

孙子 sūn zi Closest to "you little shit" or "you spineless bastard" — a man with no spine and no honour.

3animal

兔崽子 tù zǎi zi Closest to "you little brat" or "you little bastard" — aimed at kids or young people who have annoyed you

3ability

窝囊废 wō nang fèi Closest to "useless piece of work", "spineless loser", "waste of space"

3animal

小兔崽子 xiǎo tù zǎi zi Closest to "you little bastard" or "you little shit"

3animal

走狗 zǒu gǒu Closest to "running dog", "lackey", "henchman" — someone who does a powerful person's dirty work.

2euphemism

卧槽 wò cáo Closest to "shit!", "damn!", "holy crap!"

2profanity

妈的 mā de Closest to "damn", "bloody", "fucking" when used attributively

2euphemism

尼玛 ní mǎ Closest to "seriously?", "for fuck's sake", "jeez"

2profanity

闭嘴 bì zuǐ Closest to "shut up"

2profanity

他妈的 tā mā de Closest to "fucking" or "goddamn" inserted before a noun

2profanity

滚 gǔn Closest to "get lost", "get out", "screw off"

2ability

有病 yǒu bìng Closest to "you're crazy", "what's wrong with you"

2ability

脑子进水 nǎo zi jìn shuǐ Closest to "what were you thinking?", "you've lost your mind"

2ability

二百五 èr bǎi wǔ Closest to "a bit of an idiot", "numpty", "dingbat"

2internet

屌丝 diǎo sī Closest to "loser", "brokie", "NPC" — the self-mocking register fits best

2ability

饭桶 fàn tǒng Closest to "useless eater", "a waste of space", "dead weight"

2euphemism

淦 gàn Closest to a drawn-out "fuck" or "damn" used as a reaction — closer in feel to "ugh, crap" than to an insult

2internet

杠精 gàng jīng Closest to "contrarian troll", "argumentative pedant", or "someone who argues for the sake of arguing"

2ability

瓜娃子 guā wá zi Closest to "you silly fool" or "dumbass" — the gap between affectionate and dismissive is all in the tone

2euphemism

草 cào Closest to "fuck!", "shit!", "damn!" — as an interjection, "fuck!" is the best fit.

1euphemism

我擦 wǒ cā Closest to "jeez", "wow", "oh man"

1euphemism

靠 kào Closest to "ugh", "damn", "bro, seriously?"

1excrement

放屁 fàng pì Closest to "bullshit", "nonsense", "my ass"

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 谐音降级链 The Downgrade Chain Chinese speakers built an entire assembly line for laundering profanity

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 「蛋」= 人 "Egg" Means Person One suffix unlocks a dozen insults at once

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 靶心永远在家人身上 The Target Is Always Family English insults aim at you. Chinese insults aim at your mother.

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 辈分就是武器 Seniority Is the Weapon The old way to flatten someone without a single swear word

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 一个字表示「毫无价值」 One Character for Worthless See 屁 and you can assume: this thing is worth nothing

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 拼音缩写信箱 The Pinyin Initials Cipher Without this, Chinese bullet comments look like cipher

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 你被骂了，怎么办 You Just Got Insulted. Now What? Grade it first, then act — never answer in kind

知识卡InsightBilgi Kartı 为什么中文骂人绕开身体 Why Chinese Swearing Avoids the Body Learn a few body words and you can swear in English. In Chinese that gets you nowhere.

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