# Translating a Chinese Curse

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 16, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478 "2003-02-16T19:05:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [February 17, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/21 "2003-02-17T14:55:44Z")

</div>

um ga san

and with that I wish you a pleasant good night as I’m off to bed.

Canto’s are pretty good when it comes to swearing like a sailor, but after learning more I do have to say that the Shanghaiese are no pushovers in that department. Japanese on the otherhand swear like little schoolgirls. Bakka and Kuso – gimme a break.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/22 "2003-02-17T16:22:55Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by China Guy \*  
> \*\*um ga san \*\*

Ooh I say, no need to take that tone.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/23 "2003-02-17T17:28:55Z")

</div>

Hey, no fair cussin’ in a furrin language without translating!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/24 "2003-02-17T17:57:56Z")

</div>

Hokkien, one of the dialects of Chinese, is also famous for its embrassing swear-words. But the wrath of an Cantonese old lady is more than just music to one’s ear…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [February 18, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/25 "2003-02-18T06:15:37Z")

</div>

Yep, Hokkien/fukien/taiwanese is pretty good in the swearing department. Cantonese sounds so awful though it’s almost impressive, and they are pretty creative. Most of the Chinese dialects at least hold their own in the swearing department. I don’t know if you could really say one is the “best” although Cantonese would certainly be in the top 3.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![whisky\_coke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@whisky\_coke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whisky_coke)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/26 "2003-02-18T06:34:18Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jjimm \*  
> \*\*Now try _Diw ley lo mo chao hai!_ \*\*

diw = fuck

ley = your ( or you )

lo mo = mother

chao = smelly

hai = pussy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [February 18, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/27 "2003-02-18T08:02:50Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by sinemora \*  
> loh moh - An informal/disrespectful/insulting word that means mother. Depending on the context, it can be considered a mild profanity. Can’t think of an equivalent English word that has the same meaning.

That’s not correct. It is a formal, respectful way of referring somebody’s mother.

You can find it in many books, particularly anicent ones.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [February 18, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478/28 "2003-02-18T08:07:15Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by China Guy \*  
> ‘fuck your old mother literally. It’s pretty common in Hong Kong - they swear a lot.’

It’s pretty bad, particularly labourers and real estate agents. I kid you not.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translating-a-chinese-curse/155478.md?page=1)