# Asian dopers help need asian symbol for... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342 "2002-04-18T17:03:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/1 "2002-04-18T17:03:02Z")
well. you see, half of the day, I’m in a cube. Have to have some level of decorum. BUt I’m forever pushing the envelope. As a gift last year, SIL gave me an ‘asian water garden’ - miniature - it’s a black plastic cup w/ some stones, you put water in it, and the ‘bubble’ effect comes from a hand held tube that you squeeze. 😃 But it needs to be on a plate. And, I, the ever so mindful of appearances person that I am, thought it would be most appropriate if said plate had some Asian symbols on 'em. Except the only ones I can find are for things like “Peace” , “Love”, “Harmony” etc. I"m looking for something the general equivalence of “F\*\*\* you” , some expletive. Hoping there is such a thing. This would (in general) not be seen, per se, since the water garden would be sitting on it, (maybe just the edges of it), so it wouldn’t be like I was shouting some rudeness (should some one be able to recognize the symbol), but, it would make me happy, just knowing it was there. any help?? thanks ever so. (for those wondering how I"d manage to get it on a plate, I’d copy the symbol onto a piece of greenware at a local shop that allows you to decorate pieces, then they fire 'em up in a kiln. I used the same technique when I made the “Snookie bowls” for gifts several years ago - they all had a caricature of his face at the bottom, saying “Hey, where’s my ice cream?” ) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/2 "2002-04-19T03:44:57Z")
Can’t find “symbols” offhand, but maybe you could put it in code. [http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/Korean.html](http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/Korean.html) I’m partial to "doltaegari " myself. Maybe in Morse code? [http://www.soton.ac.uk/~scp93ch/morse/index.html?http://www.soton.ac.uk/~scp93ch/morse/trans.html](http://www.soton.ac.uk/~scp93ch/morse/index.html?http://www.soton.ac.uk/~scp93ch/morse/trans.html) "doltaegari " in Morse code is: -… — .-… - .- . --. .- .-. … ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/3 "2002-04-19T03:57:40Z")
Paging **Astroyboy14**. **Astroboy** , please pick up the white curtesy phone… ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/4 "2002-04-19T04:12:08Z")
Nah, not on ceramic plates and the like. Who wants to have them at home? It’s not like a piece of clothing where you can just paint the cussing words on. These pieces actually require skill and equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/5 "2002-04-19T05:46:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by heresiarch \* > \*\*Paging **Astroyboy14**. **Astroboy** , please pick up the white curtesy phone… \*\* Yo! Right here!🙂 I don’t know of any symbols, per se, that Koreans use to say “fuck you”… but I could write it out in Korean for you, if you want **Wring**. Let me know, and I’ll e-mail it to you… I tried to find a Chinese symbol for “fuck you,” and [this](http://wow.okdaily.com/wow/dictary.Phrase.htm?s=Fuck+you) is the best I could find. Interesting… ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/6 "2002-04-19T06:01:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Urban Ranger \* > \*\*Nah, not on ceramic plates and the like. Who wants to have them at home? It’s not like a piece of clothing where you can just paint the cussing words on. These pieces actually require skill and equipment. \*\* She’s going to be putting it on a ceramic plate herself. She just needs to know _what_ to put on it. (So in this case, it _is_ like a piece of clothing where you can just paint the cussing words on! :)) ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/7 "2002-04-19T06:03:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Astroboy14 \* > \*\*I tried to find a Chinese symbol for “fuck you,” and [this](http://wow.okdaily.com/wow/dictary.Phrase.htm?s=Fuck+you) is the best I could find. Interesting… \*\* That site also says it can’t find an exact match for “I love you,” and instead offers the suggestion of “Inquiries welcome”… ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/8 "2002-04-19T06:09:51Z")
Got it! Try [this](http://zhongwen.com/) site… you can look up “fuck” and then “you” in Chinese, and then put the two together!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/9 "2002-04-19T13:48:15Z")
May I humbly suggest the Japanese phrase “bakayarou”? While the dictionary generally defines it as “foolish person” or “stupid”, when spoken it generally carries the stronger connotation of “dumbass!” or “frickin’ idiot!” If your browser can handle japanese text, [this page](http://linear.mv.com/cgi-bin/j-e/jis/dosearch?sDict=on&H=PS&L=J&T=baka+yarou&WC=none) should give an example of what it looks like. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/10 "2002-04-19T22:26:06Z")
**Astroboy** you’ve done it!!! thank you !!! **Sublight** unfortunately, my browser couldn’t do it. IT wanted a CD Rom disc, dammit. but, I am truely grateful, that I can now go make my little plate and be happy knowing what secret message is there. Sigh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/11 "2002-04-20T00:49:12Z")
“Asian symbols,” why has nobody berated this person yet? Diiiiiiuuuu… ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/12 "2002-04-20T01:12:57Z")
Astroboy’s link works. Depends on how upfront you want to be. You can always call someone a _stinky egg_, _turtle egg_, _silly vegetable_ and the like without being so _crude_. Now, if you want crude, the phrase would be _fuck your mother’s stinky vagina_ (which is the sanitized translation). Both the fuck and vagina would be the second character listed. The correct order would be to look up fuck - take the second character you - first character listed mother - 4th word (count the commas) of - first character smelly - only listing vagina - second word It doesn’t make much sense word for word in English, but trust me this is the correct phrasing in Chinese. If it’s too long, then either fuck you or smelly vagina are both very common in every Chinese dialect I’ve had experience with. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/13 "2002-04-20T01:59:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Space Vampire \* > \*\*“Asian symbols,” why has nobody berated this person yet? Diiiiiiuuuu… \*\* Um… why?😕 ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/14 "2002-04-20T04:32:07Z")
You have to ask?!? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/15 "2002-04-20T06:52:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by China Guy \* > fuck - take the second character That’s _not_ it ;), and I ain’t telling 😛 😃 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/16 "2002-04-20T07:14:01Z")
Well, depends on where you are. I’ve seen it in print with this character. It is written differently in different places and contexts. Regardless, Chinese will know what it is from context and the pronunciation radical. ---
**Author:** ![kuroashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9a140/32.png) [@kuroashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kuroashi)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/17 "2002-04-20T12:35:12Z")
This might be easier if you gave us an exact phrase rather than just any ol’ expletive, say for example "Your motehr was a hamster and your fatehr smellt of elderberries. Single words, characters, don’t carry the sense you’re looking for. Soemthing like “Fuck you” would turn out more like, “May you be fucked” or simply “rape.” If that’s the effect you’re looking for, fine, a bit tasteless and tacky, but hey, to each his own. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/18 "2002-04-20T13:02:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sjc \* > \*\*You have to ask?!? \*\* Um… yes, actually! I think I’ve been whooshed. Did I miss something?😕 ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/19 "2002-04-20T14:32:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Astroboy14 \* > \*\* > > Um… yes, actually! I think I’ve been whooshed. > > Did I miss something?😕 \*\* I believe **Space Vampire** is referring to the fact that the OP uses the term “Asian symbols” as if all Asian countries used the same writing system, and no one has raised the issue of racism. There are currently several threads active concerning Ambercrombie & Fitch’s line of “Asian stereotype” t-shirts; one point that has been raised in at least one of them is that lumping all Asians into a single group is insulting. (I don’t have time to search through them now, but IIRC there were references to things like an episode of **Batman** where the Caped Crusader, looking for an evil Japanese villain, goes to a Chinese laundry.) Personally, while I agree with the sentiment that “lumping all Asians into a single ethnic mass” is racist stereotyping, in this case **wring** can be held blameless. It is clear from the context of his post that his use of the term “Asian symbols” was not racist. I for one would be upset if this thread was hijacked by any PC discussions. After all, it’s not as if he called anyone “fat”.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raoul\_Anatherwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@Raoul\_Anatherwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raoul_Anatherwan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342/20 "2002-04-20T15:45:32Z")
I typed in ‘attempt sexual intercourse with yourself’, and only one symbol came back. It was ‘extasy’ And that was only for the attempt… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-dopers-help-need-asian-symbol-for/104342.md?page=2)