Directory Intro Beverages Nouns - Nouns: Proper Names - Nouns: Endearments Sayings - Sayings: Proverbs - Sayings: Idioms - Sayings: Miscellaneous Statements - Statements: Commands - Statements: Courtesies - Statements: General Questions Responses Exclamations Insults - Insults: Statements - Insults: Intelligence - Insults: Male Only - Insults: Female Only - Insults: Scatological - Insults: Mental Health - Insults: General Actions Adjectives Other - Other: Good Things - Other: Bad Things Links Out Beverages Alcohol: jiu jing Beer: pi jiu Beer, draft: sheng pi jiu Beer, stout: hei pi jiu Bottoms up: Gan bei, literally "dry cup" Bubble tea: zhen zhu pao pao cha Chinese medicinal herb wine: Ng-Ka-Pei Can I have one more glass of [INSERT DRINK HERE]?: Qing zai lai yi bei [INSERT DRINK HERE]? Do you have [INSERT DRINK HERE]?: you mei you [INSERT DRINK HERE]? Gin: qin jiu Milk tea: nai cha Moonshine: si jiu Rum: lao mu jiu Sake: ri ben mi jiu Sweet wine: li Tea: cha Tequila: mo xi ge te qi la jiu Vodka: e de ke jiu Water: Shui Weak-a** sauce: Lan dan jiang, literally "rotten egg sauce" Whiskey: wei shì jì Wine: pu tao jiu Wine, red: hong pu tao jiu Wine, sparkling: han qi pu tao jiu Wine, white: bai pu tao jiu Nouns Proper Names Alliance: Tong meng Browncoat: Zong yi Chinese/Mandarin language: Zhong Guo Hua Mandarin language: pu tong hua Police: Jing Tour bus: youlanche Endearments An absolute genius: Zhen de shi tian cai Big Boss, leader, dominant: Long tou lao da Big Boss or operator of a business: Lao ban; Lao ban ni'un for a female boss or proprietor's wife. Also informal appellation for acquaintances. Big Brother, Older Brother: Ge or Ge-Ge, the former is more intimate and connotes a blood relation. Formal form is da ge. Big Sister, Older Sister: Jie or Jei-Jei Boss: Lao ban. Also informal appellation for acquaintances. Boss (Female): Lao ban ni'un. Also informal appellation for acquaintances. Boss; superior: shang si Boyfriend; male friend: nan peng you Chief; head boss: shou ling Close friend: mi you Darling: Bao bei Darling: Xin gan Dear; darling; beloved: qin ai de Father: fu qin (formal), or ba ba (familiar) Fellow: Ja hwo Friend, pal, buddy: Peng you Gang, crew, or confederate of diehards: Se duhng Gang leader: tou zi Gang or faction leader: Da gher ga for male, da jeh da for female, slang Girlfriend; female friend: nu peng you Good friend: Hao peng you Head boss; chief: shou ling Husband: Zhang fu Little Albatross: Xiao xian tian weng Little Brother: Di, Di-Di or Xiao Di-Di Little friend (familiar), kid: Xiao pengyou Little Sister: Mei, Mei-Mei or Xiao Mei-Mei Miss: xiao jie, literally "little lady." Follows a name when addressing a known person, so River Tam would be addressed as Tam River xiao jie, or simply Tam xiao jie. Mister: xian sheng, literally "born before me." Follows a name when addressing a known person, so Simon Tam would be addressed as Tam Simon xian sheng, or simply Tam xian sheng. Mother: mu qin (formal), or ma ma (familiar) Old friend: Lao peng you Old man / husband: Lao gong Old lady / wife: Lao po Pal: Lao xiong, "old chap", between male friends Precious: Bao bei Sir: Da yeh. When used as a nobility, Nuhn Jwei, following the name. Sweetheart: Bao bei Sweetheart: Xin gan Superior; boss: shang si Teacher: Lao shi Tycoon, big shot: da heng Young one: Nian qing de, or ying chi, slang for underaged (literally "infant teeth") Sayings Chinese Proverbs It takes hundreds of reincarnations to bring two persons to ride on the same boat; it takes a thousand eons to bring two persons to share the same pillow: bai shi xiu lai tong chuan du, qian zai xiu de gong zhen mian. Moral: It is fate and yuanfen that brings two persons together; value an encounter and treasure a relationship. A single member of a family eats; the whole family will not be hungry: yi ren chi bao, quan jia bu ji. Moral: If one member of the family eats, the rest of the family will be happy for him or her and won't be hungry. Three feet of ice does not result from one day of freezing weather: bing dong san chi, fei yi ri zhi han. Moral: A predicament is not formed without a period of events creating it. If the wind comes from an empty cave, it's not without a reason: kong xue lai feng wei bi wu yin Moral: Most seemingly strange events and actions have logical explanations. Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse: lu yao zhi ma li, ri jiu jian ren xin Moral: It takes time to learn the truth about someone's character. This can be used positively to praise a true friend; or negatively to criticize friends that could not stand a test. To hit a dog with a meat-bun: rou bao zi da gou Moral: Using the wrong method to approach a problem. On this world there exists no such impossible tasks, they fear only those with perseverance: shi shang wu nan shi zhi pa you xin ren Moral: No task in this world is impossible so long as there are willing hearts. When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter: shu dao hu sun san Moral: When a leader loses power, his followers become disorganized. All crows in the world are black: tian xia wu ya yi yang hei Moral: Some rules, like those natural forces of the Universe, are unbendable, regardless how much you may want it to change. Stereotypical Interpretation: something or someone (bad) is no different from all the others. Not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also: shui neng zai zhou, yi neng fu zhou Moral: There are opposite aspects of any tool or power. A spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie: xing xing zhi huo ke yi liao yuan Moral: Don't underestimate the potential destructive power that a seemingly minor problems can spread. Blind bear picks corn, picks one and throws one: xiong xia zi zhai bao mi, zhai yi ge diu yi ge Moral: You will lose what you already have if you keep seeking for more. Wants the horse to be good and not to eat hay at the same time: ye yao ma er hao, ye yao ma er bu chi cao Moral: You can't have your cake and eat it too (English equivalent). If a person has ambition, things will be accomplished: you zhi zhe, shi jing cheng Moral: Where there is a will, there is a way (English equivalent). Jade requires chiselling before becoming a gem: yu bu zhuo bu chen qi Moral: A person needs training and discipline to build character. If the roots are not removed during weeding, the weeds will grow again when the winds of Spring blows: zhan cao bu chu gen, chun feng chui you sheng Moral: A stitch in time saves nine (English equivalent). A tiger father has no canine sons: hu fu wu quan zi Moral: The son of a great man is of no less valor than his father. Man's schemes are inferior to those made by heaven: ren suan bu ru tian suan Moral: Man proposes and God disposes. If you have money you can make the devil push your grind stone: you qian neng shi gui tui mo Moral: Money Talks (English equivalent). It takes two strokes to write the character "eight": ba zi mei yi pie Moral: It takes two to tango (English equivalent). Eight is lucky in Chinese superstition. Idioms Point at a deer and call it a horse: zhi lu wei ma. Meaning: Deliberately twisting the truth for ulterior motives. Covering one's own ears while stealing a bell: yan er dao ling. Meaning: Ignoring the facts is only fooling oneself. Adding legs when painting a snake: hua she tian zu. Meaning: Don't overdo something. Fight poison with poison: yi du gong du. Meaning: Fight fire with fire. A tooth for a tooth: yi ya huan ya. Meaning: An eye for an eye. Piercing one's shield with one's spear: zi xiang mao dun. Meaning: Self-contradiction. Three people can make up a tiger: san ren cheng hu. Meaning: If an unfounded premise is repeated by the majority, it will be erroneously accepted as the truth. Misc. Sayings A knot of self-indulgent lunacy: Fang zong feng kuang de jie A switch to those girls' backsides is just good enough: Bian da ta men de bei jiu gou le Abracadabra-alakazam: Tian-ling-ling, di-ling-ling Absolute necessity bi bu ke shao zu cheng Actions speak louder than words, talk is cheap: gan da lei bu xia yu, literally "all thunder, no rain" All talk: Da chong wu dan, literally "big gun, no bullet" As far as the eye can see: Yi wang wu ji, literally "look afar no bound" As incompatible or irreconcilable as ice and hot coals: bing tan bu xiang rong As is known to everone: zhong suo zhou zhi As luck would have it: bu qiao Attributing an unfortunate longshot occurrence: Ye lu jwo duo le zhong wei jian gui, literally "do enough nighttime travels and one will eventually see a ghost"; also a warning of future retribution. Can't compare with: bi bu shang Demand exceeds supply: Gong bu ying qiu Don't forget your roots: yin shui si yuan Each goes his own way: ge ben qian cheng First come, first served: jie zu xian deng Foiled or ruined at the last moment: Shu ya fei tian, expression, literally "a cooked duck flies away" From an exchange of blows, friendship grows: bu da bu xiang shi Given an inch, want a mile: de cun jin chi Impressive display or visage but no substance: Da chong wu dan, literally "big gun, no bullet" Much ado about nothing: yong ren zi rao Nothing ventured, nothing gained: Bu ru hu xue yan de hu zi, literally "how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair" Old habits die hard: bai zu zhi chong si er bu jiang, literally "a centipede dies but never falls down" One is bold and confident when doing a just cause: li zhi qi zhuang One must be ruthless to be great: Wu du bu zhong fu, literally "a person without poison is not a great man" One right after another: Jie er lian san So guilty as to deserve a thousand deaths: Jwei gai wang se Strange bedfellows or unlikely alliance: Tong chuang yi meng The gains do not make up for the losses: de bu chang shi The trials and tribulations of a long journey: wan shui qian shan There can never be too much deception in war: bing bu yan zha Statements Commands Be careful: xiao xin Check it out, inspect: Jian cha Check at once: Ma shang jian cha Come in, enter: Qing jin Don't make any mistakes: Bie chu chai cuo Everyone shut up!: Ni men dou bi zui! Fire!: Kai huo (as in shooting), fen huo (as in starting) Fire at will or terminate with extreme prejudice: Da kai sa jeh, meaning "breaking the Buddhist vow against killing" Get lost: Kwai jio kai Go away: Kuai qu hen yuan de di fang, literally "go far away very fast" Have something ready just in case: bei er bu yong Hurry or make haste: Gan mang Hurry up!; you'd better hurry up; it's best if you hurry up: ni zui hao kuai yi dianr Mind your own business: Guan ni ziji de shi Now, immediately: Ma shang Retreat, run away: Jio weh sung chiuh, phrase summarizing the last of the Chinese "36 Stratagems", which extols the virtue of fleeing to fight another day. Shut up: Bi zui, zhu zui Shut up, all of you!: Ni men dou bi zui! Shut up and make us wealthy: Bi zui, rong wo men fa cai Shut up, you inconsiderate schoolboys!: Bi zui, nin hen bu ti tie de nan sheng! Speak now and quickly: Yo hua kuai so Stop talking: Ju kou Surrender, give up: Tou xiang Tell me something; tell me!: qing ni dui wo shuo ba That clinches it; that's final; no two ways about it ban shang ding ding Watch your back: Zhen ta ma yao ming. Zhu yi. Literally "this is pretty da**ed dangerous. Pay attention" Courtesies Better luck next time: Zhu ni xia yi ci hao yun Blessing on you: Zhu fu ni Bon Appetit!: Nin chi hao Congratulations: Gong xi Good luck: Ju hao yun Goodbye: Zai jian Greetings: Nihao Hello: Nihao Hello world!: shì jiè nihao! I appreciate your invitation: gan xie ni de yao qing I hope you have a nice day: zhu ni yi tian guo de yú kuai I hope you'll forgive me: wo xi wang ni neng yuan liang wo I wish you good luck in gambling: heng cai jiu shou, literally "windfall profits" I wish you peace, I hope you will be safe, take care: zhu ni ping an I wish you success, best wishes for success: zhu ni cheng gong I wish you success and good health: zhu ni cheng gong duo bao zhong I'll walk you to the door: wo song ni dao men kou I'm sorry: Dui bu qi I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose: Dui bu qi, wo bu shi guyi de It's my pleasure: zhe shi wo de rong xing Let me give you a hand; I'll give you a hand: wo lai bang zhu ni Long time no see: Hao jio bu jian May all your dreams come true : zhu ni mei meng chen zhen Nice to meet you: hen gao xing ren shi ni Please don't blame yourself: qing bu yao ze guai ni zi ji Pleased to meet you: Gao xing jian dao ni Sorry; pardon me: duì bu qi Sorry, please forgive my mistake: duì bu qi qing yuan liang wo Sweet dreams!, Have a good dream!: wan an zuo ge hao meng! Take care, stay healthy: Bao zhong, literally "maintain weight" Thank you: Xie xie ni Thanks: Xie xie Thanks for the warning: xie xie ni de ti xing You are welcome: bie ke qi You're looking wonderful: ni kan qilai hen you jing shen General Statements Don't worry: Fang xin Enough of this nonsense: Gou huang tang Fear nothing but (fill in the blank): Tian bu pa, di bu pa, tze pa... Good journey or bon voyage: Yi lu shun feng, or yi lu ping an Half is better than nothing: liao sheng yu wu Happy development or fortuitous turn of event: How shi sung chung, literally "a good show's about to start", can be used sarcastically Hold on a second: deng yi miao Home away from home: bin zhi ru gui I am busy, or I have some things to take care of: wo you shi I am hungry; I am very hungry: wo e si le I am in trouble now: wo you ma fan le I am thinking of you: wo xiang ni I assure you: wo xiang ni bao zheng I can't stand it: wo shou bu le I didn't do it on purpose: wo bu shi guyi de I don't like you: wu bu xi huan ni I envy you: wo yi mu ni I have butterflies in my stomach: wo hao jin zhang e I have nothing to do with it: na yu wo wu guan I haven't the slightest idea: wo yi dian er dou bu zhi dao I love you: wo ai ni I love you (friendly/fraternal love): wo you ai ni I need to take a nap: Wo xu yao xiu xi I neither see nor hear you: Wo dui ni bu wen bu jian I owe you one: wo qian ni yi ge ren qing I think you are [INSERT ADJECTIVE]: wo jue de hen ni [INSERT ADJECTIVE] I think you are cute: wo jue de hen ni ke ai I wish you a slow death, but a quick ride to hell!: Wo xi wang ni man man si, dan kuai dian xia di yu! I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you: ru guo wo shi ni, awo jiu bu hui dan xin! I'll be right with you: wo ma shang jiu lai I'll do my best: wo jiang hui jin wo zui da nu li I'll get it: wo qu jie dian hua I'll have to see about that: zhe shi er wo de xiang yi xiang zai ding I'll keep my eyes open: wo hui liu yi de I'll play it by ear: wo jiang sui xing er ding I'll show you: wo zhi gei ni kan I'll take care of it: wo lai ban zhe jian shi I'll take it: wo yao le I'll take your advice: wo jie shou ni de zhong gao I'm an idiot!: Ti wo de pi gu!, literally "kick me in the bottom" I'm fine: Wo hen hao I'm not feeling well: wo gan jue bu shi fu I'm not fine: bu hao I'm not myself today: wo jin tian xin shen bu zhu I've got my hands full: wo shou tou zheng mang I've got news for you: wo yao gao sù ni yi ge hao xiao xi If I were in your shoes: wo zhan zai ni de li chang shang It really comes in handy: you le ta zehn shi fang bian It will come to me: wo hui xiang qi lai de It will do you good: zhe hui dui ni you hao chu It won't happen again: xia bu wei li It won't work: xing bu tong It's awesome: bang ji le It's better than nothing: zong bi mei you hao It's not your fault: bu shi ni de cuo Just our luck: Zhen dao mei Let me get back to you: wo guo yi hui er da gei ni ba Let me repeat myself: Wuo jai jeong yi chi Let's take a deep breath: Yi qi shen hu xi Life support failure: Shen ming shi t'wohn gu jong Maybe it will work: ye xu zhe ge ban fa hui you xiao Not enough: Bu gou, or Hai bu gou for "not enough yet" Not good: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" Not much of a choice between the two: Ban jin ba liang Nothing to write home about: bu zu gua chi Oh, this is a happy development: O, zhe zhen shi ge kuai le de jin zhan Please be quiet: Qing an jing yi dien Shut up (as in, 'Get out' or 'yeah right'): Hu che Something has come up: fa sheng le yi xie shi Something must be done about it: bi xu de xiang ge ban fa Take it or leave it: yao bu yao you ni That clinches it; that's final; no two ways about it ban shang ding ding That's not a problem: na mei wen ti There's nothing I can do: wo wu neng wei li There's nothing in this plan that isn't horrific: Zhe ge ji hua zhen ke pa Things never go smooth: Hao yun bu lai, huai yun bu jwo, literally "good luck don't come, bad luck don't leave" Time out!: Yi qi shen hu xi, literally "Let's take a deep breath" Times have changed: bi yi shi ci yi shi, literally "that was one situation and this is another" To sum it up...: gui gen dao di Too bad: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" Wait/hold on a second: Deng yi miao We will enjoy your silence now: Bai tuo, an jing yi dian We're in big trouble: Ai ya wo men wan le What a mess: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" Whatever you think is fine with me: wo sui ni You are a cheat!: Ni shi pian zi! You are always right: Ni zong shi dui de You are great; you are wonderful: Ni hen bang ya You are impatient: Ni tai xing ji le You are in a bad mood: Ni de xin qing bu hao You are lying: Ni zai sa huang You are my friend: ni shi wo de peng you You are so annoying: Ni zhen tao yan You are so beautiful: Ni hao mei You are so considerate: ni zhen you xin You are wrong: ni cuo le You can count on me: ni ke yi zhi wang wo You can't complain: ni gai zhi zu le You did a good job: ni gan de hen hao You don't deserve it: Ni bu ying de zhe ge, or Ni bu gou ge You got a good deal: ni mai de zhen pian yi You idiot!: Ben dan You look tired: ni kan shang qu hen lei You need a vacation: ni xu yao xiu xi You said it: ni suan shuo dui le You should give it a try: ni ying gai shi yi shi You should take advantage of it: ni ying gai hao hao li yong zhe ge ji hui You stepped on my toe: Ni cai le wo de jiao You surprise me: ni rang wo da chi yi jing You will be better off: ni de zhuang kuang hui hao qi lai de You will have to wait and see: ni de deng yi deng kan You'll get used to it: ni hui xi guan de You're all idiots: Ni men dou shi sha gua, literally "all of you are foolish" You're kidding: ni kai wan xiao ba You've got a point there: ni shuo de you dao li You've got it: ni ming bai le You've made a good choice: ni de yan li bu cuo Questions Are we clear?: Dong le ma Are you coming with me?: ni gen wo yi qi qu ma? Are you happy?: ni hen gao xing ma? Are you okay?: Ni mei shi ba? Are you ready?: Ni hao le ma? Are you sure?: Ni neng ken ding ma? Are you unhappy?: ni hen bu gao xing ma? Are you well?; Are you feeling okay?: ni shen ti zen me yang? Can I have a word with you?: wo neng gen ni tan yi tan ma? Can I take a rain check?: ni neng gai tian zai qing wo ma? Could you speak slower?: ni neng shuo de man yi dian ma? Did you have fun?: ni wan de kai xin ma? Did you mean to say...?: nan dao...? Do you have...?: you mei you...? Do you love me?: ni ai wo ma? Do you miss me?: ni xiang wo ma? Do you really love me?: ni zhen ai wo ma? Do you think I'm an idiot?: Ni jue de wo hen ben ma? Do you understand?: dong bu dong? Have you finished yet?: ni zuo wan le ma? Have you got that?: ni ming bai wo de yi si ma? How long are you planning to stay here?: ni da suan zai zhe er dai duo jiu? May I have the pleasure...?: Wo nen qin ni tiao wu ma...? (Modal particle indicating polite suggestion); ...right?; ...OK?: ba? Understand: Dong, dong ma for "understand?" dong le ma for "are we clear here?" What?: Shen me What about you?; and you?; how about you?: ni ne? What are you doing?: ni zuo shen me? What are you talking about?: ni zai shuo shen mo? What are you up to?: ni zai mang shen mo ne? What can I do for you?: yao wo bang mang ma? What did you say?: ni shuo shen me What do you do for relaxation?: ni zuo shen mo xiao qian? What do you recommend?: ni tui jian shen mo? What do you think?: ni ren wei zen yang? What do you think of it?: ni jue de zen mo yang? What is that?: Na shi shen me? What is this?: Zhe shi shen me? What is this garbage?: Zhe shi shen me lan dong xi? What makes you say so?: ni zen mo zhe mo shuo? What's on your mind?: ni zai xiang shen mo ne? What's new, What's up?: zen me yang? What's the harm?: he fang? What's the matter with you?: ni zen mo la? When will it be ready?: shen mo shi hou neng zhun bei hao? Where are you?: ni zai na li? Where are you from?: ni cong na li lai? Where have you been?: ni qu na er le? Who are you?: ni shi shei? Why on earth?; whatever for?: gan ma? Would you do me a favor?: ni neng bang wo yi ge mang ma? You want a bullet right in your throat?: Ni yao wo kai qiang You wanna die?: Ni zhao si ma? Responses Absolutely ke bu shi ma Absolutely not jue dui bu shi An interjection; to express realization or agreement (yes, oh, right, etc): ai Don't mention it (impolite form of "you're welcome"): bu ke qi Forget it: Suan le Hold on a second: deng yi miao I am busy, or I have some things to take care of: wo you shi I didn't mean to: wo bu shi gu yi de I don't know: wo bu zhi dao I don't understand: wo bu dong I don't understand (I can read it, but I don't understand the words.): wo kan bu dong I don't understand (I hear you, but I don't understand your meaning.): wo ting bu dong I haven't the slightest idea: wo yi dian er dou bu zhi dao I know the feeling: wo zhi dao na zhong gan jue I understand completely: Wo wan quan ming bai I'll keep that in mind: wo hui ji zhu de I'll see what I can do: wo kan yi kan neng zen mo ban I'll think it over: wo zi xi kao lu yi xia I'm fine: Wo hen hao I'm not fine: bu hao I'm not really sure: wo bu tai qing chu In that case, nevermind: Na mei guan xi It doesn't matter; never mind: bu yao jin It's no big deal: zhe jian shi bu zhong yao It's nothing; it's okay: Mei guan xi It's up to you: yi qie you ni jue ding Let me get back to you: wo guo yi hui er da gei ni ba Mind your own business: Guan ni ziji de shi Nevermind, you didn't do it on purpose: Mei guan xi, ni you bu shi guyi de No problem: Mei wen ti No way: Cai bu shi, or jue dui bu Not advised: Quan gao bu yi Not at all: bing u Not enough: Bu gou, or Hai bu gou for "not enough yet" Not good: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" Not much of a choice between the two: Ban jin ba liang Of course: Dang ran Okay: Hao Okay (reluctantly): Hao ba Okay, we have a deal: yi yan wei ding Over my dead body: Chu fei wo si le, literally "not unless I die" Suit yourself: sui ni bian The same to you: ni ye yi yang Take it or leave it: yao bu yao you ni That's not a problem: na mei wen ti That's not true: na shi bu dui de That's right: dui le Too small: tai da Very big: hen da Very good: hen hao, or ding hao We'll see: zai shuo ba Yes: Shi de Yes, affirmative: Shi a You are welcome: bie ke qi You are just saying that: ni zhi shi shuo shuo er yi Exclamations Aah!: Ai ya! An interjection; to express realization or agreement (yes, oh, right, etc): ai Alas: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" All the planets in space shoved up my butt: Taikong suoyou de xingqiu saijin wo de pigu! All that is proper: suoyou de dou shidang As eternal and unchanging as the universe: tian chang di jiu Brilliant: Jing cai Cheering or urging someone on: Jia you, literally "add fuel", equivalent of "go (name)!" in English. Complete disarray or sheer pandemonium: Tian fuhn di fu, literally "sky tumbles while earth turns over" Cow Dung: Niu shi Cow Poop: Niu fen Crap: Gou shi Crap: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" Damn!; my God!: Ai ya! Damn it: Zao gao, literally "spoiled cake" Everything (one could imagine): Ying you jin you Everything under the sky: Tian shia, can be used to allude to the world or the universe Explosive diarrhea of an elephant: Da xiang bao zha shi de la du zi Extraordinarily impatient Buddha: Zhen mei naixing de Fouzu Filthy fornicators of livestock: He chu-sheng za-jiao de zang-huo! F***ing awesome: niubi F***: Ta ma de! (vulgar term) Get out; shut up; nonsense: hu che God knows what / name of all that's sacred: Tian xiao de Hell: Gui, literally "ghost" or "demon" Hell, underworld: Di yu Hey!: Wei Holy testicle Tuesday (exclamation): Shen sheng de gao wan I don't believe my eyes!: Wo bu shin wo dah yan jing Idiot: Ben dan, literally "stupid egg", or chun zhu, literally "retarded pig" Impossible: Bu ke neng Kick me in the butt: Ti wo de pi gu Like hell/In your dreams: Jian ta de gui, literally "see his ghost", or jian gui which likely means "seeing ghosts" Merciful Buddha: Ren ci de Fouzu Merciful Buddha protect us: Ren ci de Fouzu qing bao you wo men Merciful God, please take me away: Ren ci de shang di, qing dai wo zou Merciless Hell: Ai ya tian a! Monkey's butt: Hou zi de pi gu Mother of God: Wo de ma, literally "my mother" Mother of God and all her crazy nephews: Wo de ma he ta de fen kuang de wai sheng dou Motherless goat of all motherless goats: Gao yang zhong de gu yang, literally "Orphan goats among young goats" My Mother (exclaimation): Wo de ma Oh! (denoting fright): xi! Oh God: tian a Oh God, no: Lao tian, bu Oh my God: Wo de tian a Oh sky (exclaimation): wo de tian! Panda urine: Xiong mao niao Sh** on my head! (or another expletive): Ai ya, huai le! SOB: Wang ba dan, or gou neong yung de for a more literal and vicious translation. Son of a rabbit: Too zaizi Wah!: Wa, an exclamation, meaning the sound of vomiting. Whores in hell!: Ta shi suo you di yu de diao zi de ma!, literally "she is the mother of all prostitutes in hell" Whores of SOBs: Wang ba dan de biao zi Wonderful!: Pai an jiao jue, literally "slap the table and shout with praise" Insults Derogatory Statements Eat shit: chi shi Go die: Chui se Go to hell: Chui se, literally "go die" Go to hell: Chui di yu I don't like you: wu bu xi huan ni I neither see nor hear you: Wo dui ni bu wen bu jian I think you are a real bastard: wo jue de ni shi ge zhen de hun dan Kiss my ass: chin wo de pigu May your children be damned: jiao ni sheng haizi mei pi gu yan, literally "May your child be born with an imperforate anus" Screw him/her running: Gun ta jwo lu Screw you: Qu ni de You are a cheat!: Ni shi pian zi! You are a fool: Ni shi sha gua You are a rotten egg: Ni shi hwin dan You are an idiot: Ni shi bai chi You are crazy: Ni feng le You are impatient: Ni tai xing ji le You are lying: Ni zai sa huang You are so annoying: Ni zhen tao yan You are wrong: ni cuo le You fink/wretch/etc: Ni hun qiu You're all idiots: Ni men dou shi sha gua, literally "all of you are foolish" You're less than human: ni shi shen me dong xi, literally "you are nothing" You're less than human: ni bushi dong xi, literally "you are nothing" You're not human: ni bu shi ren, literally "you are not a person" You're shameless and less than human: bu yao lian de dong xi, literally "you are a thing that has no shame" Your heart is black!: Ni xin tai hei le! Intelligence Awkward; clumsy; dull; inelegant: zhuo Big stupid pile of stinking meat: Yi dwei da buen chuo roh Clueless person: hu tu dan Dumba**: Chun, descriptive literally "retarded" Dummy; fool: dai gua Fool: Sha gua, literally "stupid melonhead", or ben dan, literally "stupid egg" Idiot: Ben dan, literally "stupid egg", or chun zhu, literally "retarded pig" Moron: chun zhu, literally "retarded pig" Muddled, Mixed-up, Confused: Wu tou wu nao, literally "without a head or a brain" Stupid: Yu ben de, chun, or yu chun Stupid person: er bai wu Stupid inbred sack of meat: Ben tian sheng de yi dui rou Stupid son of a drooling whore and monkey: Liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi Male Only Dirty bastard SOBs: Wang ba dan Male companion or boyfriend: Kai tze, also a somewhat derogatory slang SOB: Wang ba dan, or gou neong yung de for a more literal and vicious translation. Son of a rabbit: Too zaizi Whore (male): Yan se lang, literally "colored wolf" Female Only Bitch: po fu Bitch: si san ba Bitch: sao bi Cheap floozy: Jian huo Female companion or girlfriend: Ma tze, a somewhat derogatory slang; add Dow in front for "looking for a girlfriend" Flat-chested: Hur bao dan, slang, literally "eggs cooked sunny-side up" Home wrecking tramp: Hu li jing, literally "fox spirit" Shameless Hussy: Meh lian de jia ji, literally "faceless bastard prostitute" Slut: hu li jing, literally "overly seductive woman" Slut: jian huo, literally "cheap commodity" Slut: sao huo, literally "lewd commodity" Stinking whore: chou biao zi Vixen: Hu li jing, literally "fox spirit" Whore: Ji nu Whores in hell!: Ta shi suo you di yu de diao zi de ma!, literally "she is the mother of all prostitutes in hell" Whores of SOBs: Wang ba dan de biao zi Scatological Baboon's arse: Fei fei pi gu Baboon's ass crack: Fei fei de pi yan Bullshit: gou pi Cow Dung: Niu shi Cow Poop: Niu fen Crazy dog in love with its own feces: Ai chr jze se de fohn diang gou Eat shit: chi shi Engage a monkey in a feces-hurling contest: Gen hou zi bi diu shi Excrement: Mi tian gong Explosive diarrhea of an elephant: Da xiang bao zha shi de la du zi Fart: fang pi Fat ass: pu yin Monkey's butt: Hou zi de pi gu Panda urine: Xiong mao niao Pile of sun-baked dog poo: Ri shao gou shi bing Poo: da bian Pool of Excrement: F'n Zse Pool of pig droppings: Zhu fuen chse Posterior, bottom, butt: Pi gu Smelled a fart: Wen guo pi Urine-soaked demons (or something to the effect): Niao shi de du-gui Mental Health Crazy, mad: fa kuang Crazy, nuts: kuang zhe de Loopy in the head: Feng le, literally "insane" Lunatic: Shen jing bing Oddball or Goof: Chai Neow Out of touch with reality: Bi mu se ting, "shut one's eyes and stop up one's ears" Violent lunatic: Xiong meng de kung ren Weirdo; Freak: guai dan General A real ba***rd!: Ge zhen de hun dan! Animal: dong wu Asshole: Hun dan, literally "rotten egg" Bastard: Hun dan, literally "rotten egg" Bastard: wang ba dan, literally "turtle egg" (As turtles do not know their fathers) Bastard: za zhong, literally "half-breed", sometimes racist Beast: chu sheng, may be used as an expletive Cold-blooded animal: Bian wen dong wu Completely useless: Tian di wu yong Conniving or scheming person: Gui tou gui nao, literally "ghost head ghost brain" Consistently useless: Jing-chang mei yong de Cow sucking: Xi niu Coward: nuo fu Dangerous person or animal: Wei xian dong wu Dead man doggie: Si lang kow Demon: Gui Deserving of bad consequence or fate: Hwo gai Despicable: Ke wu Drunkard: jiu gui Dumb as a wooden chicken [paralized by fear]: dairuomu ji Filthy fornicators of livestock: He chu-sheng za-jiao de zang-huo! Foreign devil: Yang gui zi Frog-humping son of a b****: Qing wa kao de liu mang F***: Ta ma de! (vulgar term) Garbage: Le se Ghost: Gui Goddamned: ta made niao G**d*mn monsters: Tian sha de e mo Good-for-nothing: Bu lang bu you Hell: Gui, literally "ghost" or "demon" Hell, underworld: Di yu Horrible old tyrant: Ke-wu de lao bao jun Jerk: Hun dan, literally "rotten egg", or "chun ren" Junk: Fei wu Leader of a criminal operation: She tou, literally "snakehead", derogatory. Loser: wonang fei Lousy Bastard: Chou wan ba dan Merciless Bastard: Leng xue za zhong, literally "cold-blooded mixed-breed" Monkey raping: Qiang bao hou zi de Monster: yao guai Motherless goat of all motherless goats: Gao yang zhong de gu yang, literally "Orphan goats among young goats" (a) Nobody: Wu ming shao zu, literally "nameless little footsoldier" Nonsense, rubbish, superfluous words: Fei hua Old: Lao Pathetic wretch: Bei bi xiao ren, literally "shameless little dirty person" Peon: Wu ming shao zu, literally "nameless little footsoldier" Pig head: ju tou Pig's Sty: Zhu fuen chse Pimp: Lao mao Remorseless harridan: Bu hui hen de po fu Ruthless or savage beast of a person: Ching soh Scoundrel: Huai dan, literally "bad egg" Shameless (without honor, strong insult): bu yao lian, or si bu yao lian for "you died without honor" Small fry: Wu ming shao zu, literally "nameless little footsoldier" Stubborn disciplinarian: Pian zhi de jie cha yuan Troublemaker: Wan nao Troublemaker: wenshen, literally "plague god" Tyrant, iron-fisted ruler: Ba wang Ugly or perverted person: Zhu Bajie, insult taken from the name of the hoggish, lecherous character in the popular Chinese folktale, "Journey to the West" Ugly as hell: Chou ba guai Trash (dispicable person): wuneug de ren Useless Person: fei ren Yes man (derogatory): zou gou Actions Accusing someone of lying, a ridiculous notion, or talking out of the posterior: Fang pi, literally "to break wind" Act blindly: Bi se yan jing zhuo ma que, literally "try to catch sparrows with one's eyes blindfolded" Agitate someone out of hiding: Da chow jing ser, literally, "beating the grass to startle the snake" Appear right but actually was wrong: si shi er fei Be outraged by an injustice: bao bu ping Blindside or conspire against someone secretly: Fahn leong jian, literally "shoot a cold arrow" Bring forth new ideas; blaze new trails: chuang xin Commit blunder of great magnitude: Bie wu long Cover the head and sneak away like a rat; scurry off like a frightened rat: bao tou shu cuan Curse/Cursing: Ma jung hwa, literally "chastise with dirty words" Daydream or wishful thinking: Bai ri meng Do something for nothing in return, or wasted endeavor without a payoff: Yi yan, literally "a charity show". Get bold or audacious: Fang dan, literally "release courage" Go all out, hold nothing back: Ping ming, literally "fight for one's life" Have desires above one's social/financial position, or beyond one's ability to realize: Lai huh ma shi yong tze tian e zoh, literally "for a toad to think of eating a swan" Have no knowledge of practical matters: bu bian shu mai, literally "be unable to tell beans from wheat" Keep on fighting in spite of all setbacks: bai zhe bu nao Leave one to his own fate: Tze sh'un tze mieh Lump different matters together: yi gai er lun Make a big mistake: Bie wu long Make an example of someone: Sha ji gei hou kan, literally "kill a chicken in front of a monkey" Make the same mistake twice: chong dao fu che Not keeping a rendezvous: Fang ge zi, literally "release a pigeon" but insinuating not picking up the bird at the destination. Outdo someone or doing one better: Dao gao yee chi moh gao yee juhn, expression, literally "the solution advances a yard, the problem advances a mile" Set a good example: yi shen zuo ze Speaking without a clue: Xia hua, literally "blind talk" Take the big picture into consideration: gu quan da ju To change something that is already settled upon, blow hot and cold: chao san mu sì To throw in a monkey wrench: Gwai ma jiao, literally "twist a horse's legs (while it's galloping)" To replace the old with the new: xin chen dai xie To say or do something at just the right moment: qia dao hao chu To turn over a new leaf: qi jiu tu xin Unnecessarily complicating something, or overdoing it: Hua she tian zu, literally "draw a snake and add feet to it" Warning someone against doing things 'the hard way': Jing zhou bu chi chi fa zhou, literally "choosing to sip the wine of penalty over that of respect" Adjectives Absolute genius Zhen de shi tain cai Amazing: wo cao Amazing; terrific; extraordinary: liao bu qi> Awesome: Gao gan, literally "high pole" Awkward; clumsy; dull; inelegant: zhuo Brilliant: Jing cai Charming, captivating, fascinating: mi ren Cool: Ku Crazy, mad: fa kuang Crazy, nuts: kuang zhe de Cute: Ke ai Danger/Dangerous: Wei xian Despicable: Ke wu Earthshaking: Jing tian dwohn di, literally "startle the sky and shake the earth" Elegant: youmei Extraordinarily clever: Gao gan, literally "high pole" Fragile: yisui F***ing awesome: niubi Good: Hao Great: Da bian hua, literally "big change" Handsome: Shuai Impossible: Bu ke neng Loopy in the head: Feng le, literally "insane" Muddled, Mixed-up, Confused: Wu tou wu nao, literally "without a head or a brain" New, up and coming, newly developing, rising: xin xing Nuts: Shiang Jing Ping, or just Shiang Jing; Fah Shiang Jing for "going nuts" Nuts: Kuang zhe de, literally "crazy" Old: Lao Paranoid, extremely suspicious: Bei gong she ying, literally "mistaking the reflection of a bow in the cup for a snake" Petty: Suo xi Prehistoric: Lao Diu Ya, literally "so old as to lose all teeth" Plain, bland, bare: Yong chwen mien, slang taken from the namesake generic, flavorless noodle dish. Really Dangerous: Wei xian, more poetic, wo hu chung long, which is "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" and expression for something dangerous. Ridiculously strange, illogical or nonsensical: Mo ming qi miao, literally "not understanding the peculiarity" Ruined, finished: Wan dan le Shameless (without honor, strong insult): bu yao lian, or si bu yao lian for "you died without honor" Shiny, awesome, fantastic: Jahn! Small: Xiao Spirited, full of energy: zhao qi peng bo Splendid: Jing cai Stunning, amazing: lingren jingyi Stupid: Yu ben de, chun, or yu chun Very: Fei chang Whichever: Ren he Other Good Things Big change: da bian hua Lucky guy; a person who always gets good breaks: xing yun er Meticulous planning and careful accounting: jing da xi suan Not dumb or not stupid: bu ben Real man, manly man: Nan zi han Shoot with unfailing accuracy, be a crack shot: bai fa bai zhong Stylish clothing: jiangjiu de fuzhuang World famous: ju shi wen ming Bad Things Ass-kicking killer: Xiong can sha shou AWOL: Kai xiao chai Danger: wei Done for: Wan dan, literally "finished (cooked) egg" Empty Threat: Da chong wu dan, literally "big gun, no bullet" Guerrilla warfare: you ji Imminent Doom: Wan dan, literally "finished (cooked) egg" In the doghouse: Leng gong, literally "a cold palace," which is where an emperor confines those concubines who have fallen out of favor Not quite right; a bit off; fishy; amiss: bu shi wei er Setback: cuo zhe, or zai gen tou for "to suffer a setback" Suicidal idea: Zu sha zhu yi Swindle: Guai Talk nonsense: Shia suo Trouble, problem, complication: Ma fan Links Out TigerNT Chinese-English Online Dictionary Primezero Aulenti Chinese Dictionary Corgilabs Chinese Dictionary Compiled and formatted by Jessica S. |