# Let's talk curse words in foreign languages **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069 "2011-10-28T13:38:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/21 "2011-10-28T18:42:31Z")
I have no idea what he said, but when we were in Germany with our Romanian buddy, he slammed his foot against the door frame in the hotel and spouted what had to have been an impressive paragraph of invective, but it was so pretty sounding … we told him he needed to learn to swear in Russian or German so it would sound harsh 😃 ---
**Author:** ![medicated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@medicated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medicated)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/22 "2011-10-28T19:04:45Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > You can do better than that string! > > Diable de batême d’osti de câlisse de crisse de tabarnak de ciboire de sacrament a charrue de marde a plotte de chienne salle…:mad: > > The fun thing is that it doesn’t need to make much sense; just string things with “de” and it’s all good. So much more fun than swearing in English! True, but it’s a good starter. As an aside, I giggle uncontrollably when my father stubs his toe or whatnot, because it causes him to code switch in the most brilliant fashion, yelling things like “tabarnak de fucking osti!” and the like. It’s absolutely hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/23 "2011-10-28T19:04:52Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > clarification: I wasn’t calling her a “bo-ji.” More of “name the body part you want to get to next” type of thing. Yeah, don’t worry - we figured that one out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/24 "2011-10-28T19:14:11Z")
Lots of penis-oriented profanity in Hebrew: Zayin - “cock” - like hell Zayin Ba’ayin - “cock in the eye” - no fucking way Eizeh Zayin - “what cock” - well, that sucks Al Hazayin Sheli - “one my cock” - I don’t give a shit Kol Hazayin - “all the cock” - tough shit Lo Sam Zayin - “doesn’t put a cock” - doesn’t give a shit Nishbar Li Hazayin - “my cock brok” - I’ve had enough of this shit ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/25 "2011-10-28T19:24:18Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > Afrikaans: > > Jou ma se poes - “your mother’s pussy” I think the implication is along the lines of your mother’s a whore, as in everyone has seen it in action. West Indian creole has “lang patat mamou” which, I’m making up how to spell, since I have no clue. It means, “Your mother’s potatoes” which basically means, “Your mother’s pussy” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/26 "2011-10-28T19:37:41Z")
German is surprisingly tame when it comes to cursing: Arschloch - asshole Scheisse - shit Verdammte Scheisse - damned shit (which is actually just a stronger way of saying “shit” when you are very angry). All of those words are spoke on German television, so it is not like they are some horribly forbidden words, but to be honest, that is about the extent of the average German’s cuss words. You can get in a fight for calling someone an asshole, and you can express your great displeasure by screaming “shit”, but they really don’t have our colorful motherfucking, cocksucking, sonofabitch, goddamned lingo in everyday language. Sure, all of those terms can be expressed in German, but they just really aren’t used. Until this thread, it never dawned on me how boring German cuss words are. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/27 "2011-10-28T19:51:23Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Lots of penis-oriented profanity in Hebrew: > > Zayin - “cock” - like hell > Zayin Ba’ayin - “cock in the eye” - no fucking way > Eizeh Zayin - “what cock” - well, that sucks > Al Hazayin Sheli - “one my cock” - I don’t give a shit > Kol Hazayin - “all the cock” - tough shit > Lo Sam Zayin - “doesn’t put a cock” - doesn’t give a shit > Nishbar Li Hazayin - “my cock brok” - I’ve had enough of this shit And, I think also, Lech Tizdayin (or Ti’zayin?) Go fuck yourself. (I’d like to see that in writing in Hebrew to get the exact wording right. Alessan?) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/28 "2011-10-28T19:52:39Z")
This thread has great practical value! Look at all the words we have now for posters to call each other bad names, outside the Pit, and maybe slip it past the moderators! ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/29 "2011-10-28T20:01:10Z")
This is perfect place for this story. When I was 17 my then-boyfriend and I got a cat. We were trying to figure out a good name. I went to the store and when I got back he and his buddy said they named the cat this word that they told me meant “Lovebirds” in Inuit. I was gullible so I said “Okay, but I can’t pronounce that so let’s shorten it to “Nyek”.” (Pronounced “Nie-yeck”.) Two weeks later, after she was responding to her name, his other buddy told me that the original word means “Fuck off” in Arabic. For the life of me I can’t find that word - do you guys know it? PS: That cat lived to be 18 years old and if a cat can be a person’s soulmate, she was mine. Still a funny story about her name, though. ---
**Author:** ![medicated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@medicated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medicated)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/30 "2011-10-28T21:57:42Z")
Of course, swearing in Russian could probably take up an entire thread. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/31 "2011-10-29T02:20:27Z")
I remember the day my Spanish teacher caught me calling another student a maricon. When she told me not to use that word, I could tell she was proud of me for learning it. ETA She knew I wasn’t trying to be genuinely insulting. The other student and I had been tossing insults back and forth. He said “Tu eres homosexual.” I responded with maricon. Back To The OP I’ll let somebody else do the simple Yiddish insults. Thanks to Hollywood, everybody knows them already. What I love about Yiddish are the actual _curses_ “May you grow like an onion, with your head in the ground!” “May you be like a chandelier- hanging by day and burning by night!” “May you live in a house with a thousand rooms, and live to have insomnia in every room!” Instead of “Shut up!” we have “Go twist your own head!” and “Go whistle on the ocean!” **Medicated** Here in Philly, I’m surrounded by ExSoviets. Please, share at least a little swearing in Russian. ---
**Author:** ![Jennmonkye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@Jennmonkye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennmonkye)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/32 "2011-10-29T02:25:38Z")
Greek cursing is the best. Don’t take my word for it…I give you…the great [MALAKA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyWU-0ppug0)! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/33 "2011-10-29T02:28:50Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > This thread has great practical value! Look at all the words we have now for posters to call each other bad names, outside the Pit, and maybe slip it past the moderators! I know! I am especially loving the “monitor lizard” one. My great-aunt used to say “Tera beda gadak hoye!” which as near as I could tell meant that she was wishing something of mine get broken. I never understood the middle two words, but it always sounded terrible. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![raskolnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@raskolnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raskolnik)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/34 "2011-10-29T02:35:01Z")
Russian blyat-whore, but worse. Pretty strong when said directly to a woman pizdets- the ‘c’ word xye-dick chort-the devil yebat-f\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/35 "2011-10-29T02:37:14Z")
> [@raskolnik](#): > > Russian > > blyat-whore, but worse. Pretty strong when said directly to a woman > pizdets- the ‘c’ word > xye-dick > chort-the devil > yebat-f\*\*\* spaceba. But could I please get a pronunciation guide? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/36 "2011-10-29T03:09:08Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > spaceba.? Yep tvayoo mat - go fuck your mother (VERY RUDE) k’chortu - go to the devil - mild, can be said humorously, as in response when someone says “good luck.” Yiddish, of course is replete with excellent scatalogical words and insults. Drek - shit – this is ruder than most people think it is. The unrude work for something that sucks is the less euphonious “chazzerai.” Gai kakhen afenyam - literally, go take a shit in the ocean “go away and leave me alone” Fekakteh - FUBAR/all fucked up ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/37 "2011-10-29T03:14:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Lots of penis-oriented profanity in Hebrew: > > Zayin - “cock” - like hell > Zayin Ba’ayin - “cock in the eye” - no fucking way > Eizeh Zayin - “what cock” - well, that sucks > Al Hazayin Sheli - “one my cock” - I don’t give a shit > Kol Hazayin - “all the cock” - tough shit > Lo Sam Zayin - “doesn’t put a cock” - doesn’t give a shit > Nishbar Li Hazayin - “my cock brok” - I’ve had enough of this shit Yes, but for hardcore swearing, Israelis switch to Arabic. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/38 "2011-10-29T03:14:49Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Gai kakhen afenyam - literally, go take a shit in the ocean “go away and leave me alone” Huh, so the version I heard was sanitized. Oh It occurs to me that not everybody knows a little Russian or that my spelling could be off. Spaceba (spuh-see-buh) means thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/39 "2011-10-29T03:15:29Z")
> [@medicated](#): > > Of course, swearing in Russian could probably take up an entire thread. Swearing in Russian is a form of art. Just knowing the words is not enough. You have to know all the different declinations of the words, and their shades of meaning, and string them together in an aesthetically pleasing manner. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069/40 "2011-10-29T03:28:31Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > spaceba.? More Russian Yep tvayoo mat - go fuck your mother (VERY RUDE) k’chortu - go to the devil - mild, can be said humorously, as in response when someone says “good luck.” Yiddish, of course is replete with excellent scatalogical words and insults. Drek - shit – this is ruder than most people think it is. The unrude work for something that sucks is the less euphonious “chazzerai.” Gai kakhen afenyam - literally, go take a shit in the ocean “go away and leave me alone” Fekakteh - FUBAR/all fucked up I know a few bad words in ASL but its hard for me to explain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-curse-words-in-foreign-languages/601069.md?page=3)