Ancient China - Insults
Insults in Ancient China
Ancient Chinese profanity often used metaphors from nature or family, describing people as worthless things like rotten wood (朽木不可雕 - xiǔmù bù kě diāo) or dishonorable creatures like tortoise eggs (王八蛋 - wáng bā dàn), while severe insults targeted mothers (操你妈 - cào nǐ mā) or used terms for 'devil' (鬼子 - guǐzi) for enemies, but modern swear words like Shǎbi (傻逼) are common now, with insults often revolving around "idiot" (bèndàn, 笨蛋) or "bad person" (huàidàn, 坏蛋).
Common Insults (Mild to Strong)
笨蛋 (bèndàn): Stupid egg/idiot (mild).坏蛋 (huàidàn): Bad egg/scoundrel (mild/moderate).
混蛋 (húndàn): Mixed egg/bastard (moderate).
滚蛋 (gǔndàn): Roll away/get lost (rude).
王八蛋 (wáng bā dàn): Tortoise egg (very offensive, implying cuckoldry/worthlessness).
Severe & Vulgar Terms
操你妈 (cào nǐ mā): Fuck your mother (extremely vulgar, similar to English).他妈的 (tā mā de): His/her mother's (used as an intensifier like "fucking").
操你祖宗十八代 (cào nǐ zǔzōng shíbā dài): Fuck your eighteen generations of ancestors (highly offensive).
Historical/Contextual Slurs
日本鬼子 (Rìběn guǐzi): Japanese devils (used during wartime).朽木不可雕 (xiǔmù bù kě diāo): Rotten wood that cannot be carved (describes a hopeless person).
Modern/Internet Slang
傻逼 (shǎbī): F***ing idiot (very common online).屌丝 (diǎosī): "Lame/loser" (internet slang for underachievers).