# Foreign swear words **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556 "2003-10-25T21:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/21 "2003-10-27T01:19:55Z")
Finns have some [great curses](http://www.insultmonger.com/swearing/finnish.htm), especially when they are translated literally. I don’t actually speak Finnish, and just came across this page while doing research for a story, so I can’t really vouch for their authenticity, but here are some of my favorites: Vittujen kevät = Goddamn! (lit. Spring of the pussies!) Paskanmarjat = Bullshit (lit. berries of shit) Vedä vittu päähän ja pakene vuorille = Draw a cunt over your head and run to the mountains. Äitisi nai poroja = Your mother copulates with reindeers And my most favourite… Suksi vittuun = Fuck off (lit. Ski into a cunt) ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/22 "2003-10-27T01:37:01Z")
**SandyHook** and **Chefguy** , you are both halfway right. I guess you can call somebody a motherfucker in Vietnamese, but they native speakers tend not to call each other that. There are two expressions: _Du ma_ (First word starts at mid tone and drops then kicks back up slightly, and second word starts at mid tone and rises sharply). This translates directly as “fuck mother”, and is much, much **less** offensive than anything to do with fucking mothers in English. It’s kinda like “fuck the universal mother” or “fuck the concept of mothers generally”, and isn’t a personal attack upon the listener. Sure you wouldn’t say it in polite company, but for working class Vietnamese blokes, it’s just like “fuck” or “shit”. It’s at stubbing your toe level. The second phrase is _Du Ma Me_ (I’m not sure of the spelling of the third word, but it’s pronounced “may”, and the tone is pretty flat). _This_ one translates as “fuck your mother” (directly “fuck mother you”), and will probably get a fist in your face. It’s even stronger than our “motherfucker”. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/23 "2003-10-27T01:46:52Z")
And as it’s pronounced “do ma”, it makes perfect sense in English too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/24 "2003-10-27T01:49:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by green\_bladder \* > \*\*No, no… chinga tu _puta_ madre, pendejo. > > \*\* La tuya, hijo de la chingada. Someone may reply! ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/25 "2003-10-27T01:56:26Z")
Foriegn swear puns are always interesting. Here in New Jersey, there’s a costume shop called Fun-Ghoul, which I think is a play on the Italian work for “fuck.” ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/26 "2003-10-27T05:49:16Z")
In Hindi, and liberall used in several other Indian languages too Madhar-chodh = mother fucker Behen-chodh = sisterly equivalent of the above Don’t use 'em unless you know the person you’re talking to rather well - or unless you really mean it! ---
**Author:** ![that.sound.again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@that.sound.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that.sound.again)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/27 "2003-10-27T08:00:38Z")
Yes, the Finnish ones are cool… I use ´perkele’ a lot (as a non-Finnish speaker). I like ‘voi vittu’ as well, but the site quoted by **fish in the sky** only translates this to ‘fuck’, I guess to give the equivalent English exclamation. But I’ve heard it translated to ‘butter cunt’ - vittu certainly seems to be ‘cunt’. Can anyone confirm this? ‘Ski into a cunt’ for ‘fuck off’ is hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![CadburyAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@CadburyAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CadburyAngel)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/28 "2003-10-27T08:41:40Z")
German has the delicious “verdammte schlampe,” which I understand to translate as “damned slut.” ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/29 "2003-10-27T09:16:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BigDaiv \* > \*\* > **masturbation(various rude words for the act of not exact translations of)** > roubler - german > \*\* Huh? I’m a native German speaker and I have never heard of roubler. You sure that’s not French? The preferred German swearword for masturbation would be “wichsen” and a masturbator would be a “Wichser”. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/30 "2003-10-27T10:13:57Z")
Couple of Greek ones for you: Malaka - wanker. Ska-ta - shit. Phonetic spelling, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/31 "2003-10-27T10:30:39Z")
Another phonetic Greek one: Kolotripa - arsehole. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/32 "2003-10-27T10:30:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gouda \* > \*\*In Hindi, and liberall used in several other Indian languages too > > Madhar-chodh = mother fucker > Behen-chodh = sisterly equivalent of the above > > Don’t use 'em unless you know the person you’re talking to rather well - or unless you really mean it! \*\* Quite! A couple of others, just off the top off my head: In Punjabi - “Teri ma!” - its a bit like “yo momma”, but more insulting, I believe. In Kutchi/Gujerati: Sala - swine. But be careful here, in some dialects, “sala” also means brother-in-law. 😃 In response to some kind of insulting statement: Tu ne tuje ma pun. = You and your mother as well. Kutthi - bitch Seuver - This is a harsher form of bitch. Used predominantly in Kutcchi, it is really rather insulting. Churel - literally, this means “mistress”, but hurled at a woman is a deadly insult. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/33 "2003-10-27T10:33:44Z")
And some Arabic (I’m a bit rusty on these, so no guarantees): _kis AH-mek_ - fuck your mother _kis UK-took_ - your sister too, while you’re at it ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/34 "2003-10-27T10:37:06Z")
‘Voi vittu’ translated to ‘Oh cunt’ - it’s used as ‘Oh fuck’ is. In general ‘vittu’ is the swearword of choice especially among the younger celebration. ‘Vituttaa’ is ‘pissed off’, for instance in the term "Vituttaa kuin pientä oravaa talvella kun käpy on jäässä’ (“Pissed off like a little squirrel with a frozen pinecone in the winter”). There’s also the word ‘vittuilla’ which I’ve never found a good translation. In general, most of the words in **fish in the sky’s** page are valid, though some of the phrases I haven’t heard (maybe they are more regional or something?) ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/35 "2003-10-27T10:53:02Z")
In Hindi/Gujerati/Kutchhi there’s also Seuver ki aulad - son of a bitch I think that’s the limit of what I know. My Urdu/Hindi/Gujerati/Kutcchi is all far too polite. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Latch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@Latch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/36 "2003-10-27T12:02:07Z")
pog mo` tho`n. Said more like “poge mah hone” (I think). Accents go over the letters before them. In Irish, I’m pretty sure it means “Kiss My Ass”. Well, at least that’s what the irish lady at work taught me one time. ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/37 "2003-10-27T12:05:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mycroft Holmes \* > \*\*Huh? I’m a native German speaker and I have never heard of roubler. You sure that’s not French? The preferred German swearword for masturbation would be “wichsen” and a masturbator would be a “Wichser”. \*\* i went to germany on a German exchange (dusseldorf if your interested) and i was told it was roubler but that could be wrong or perhaps colloquial or maybe ive just forgotten it and got it mixed up with something else ---
**Author:** ![jtull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47774/32.png) [@jtull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtull)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/38 "2003-10-27T12:34:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BigDaiv \* > \*\*pesawengi (pesavengi?)- wanker greek \*\* Excuse me ? I’m a native greek speaker and I have to say that I’ve never heard of this one… it’s certainly _not_ greek. The other three words listed are correct. I’d love to add some, but it would take all day… we’re such an inventing race when it comes to swearing! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/39 "2003-10-27T12:39:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BigDaiv \* > \*\*i went to germany on a German exchange (dusseldorf if your interested) and i was told it was roubler but that could be wrong or perhaps colloquial or maybe ive just forgotten it and got it mixed up with something else \*\* Aaaah. That explains it. Those Rhinelanders can be a little weird, especially if they’ve had one “Alt” too many. Seriously though, I think the word they told you was “rubbler”, since “rubbeln” is a word used in the dialect of the Rhineland and Hessia for rubbing or scrubbing. So a “Rubbler” is someone who scrubs. Seems to be a very picturesque way of saying masturbator. Then again, the German dialects often have very interesting swear words, with very interesting etymologies also. Example: In my own dialect (Hessian), we have a word (which is usually written as “fisemadenten”) which describes unusual behaviour. Usage would be something like: Ever since he was hit on the head, Hans has been doing a lot of “fisemadenten”. This word actually comes from the early nineteenth century when large parts of southern Hessia were occupied by the Napeolonic army. It seems Napoleon’s soldiers were fond of saying “visite ma tente” to the buxom Hessian girls. The girls who actually took the soldiers up on their offers were said to be doing “fisemadenten”. From this time of French occupation, the Hessians also kept such words as “Trottoir” for sidewalk (known as a Buergersteig in the rest of Germany), and “Portemonnaie” for wallet (known as a Geldboerse in the rest of Germany). ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556/40 "2003-10-27T13:26:57Z")
In Italian: **Mangia la merda** (Eat shit) \*\* Bas mi cul \*\* (Phonetic spelling of dialect for “kiss my ass”) Found this one when looking up spelling: **caccati in mano e prenditi a schiaffi** ++ take a shit on your hands and hit yourself I love that one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-swear-words/209556.md?page=3)