Hokkien is one of the largest Chinese language varieties worldwide. Profanity in Hokkien most commonly involves sexual references and scorn of the object's ancestors, especially their mother. The mentioning of sexual organs is frequently used in Hokkien profanity.
Hokkien is the preferred language for swearing in Singapore.
As in English, a vulgar word for the sexual act fuck is used in insults and expletives. Below are the most commonly used Hokkien vulgar words.
Vulgarities involving sexual acts
Kan
Kan (), literally meaning fuck, is the most common but grossly vulgar profanity in Hokkien. It's sometimes also written as . It is a common swear word in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. Used in a manner similar to the English word fuck, kan can express dismay, disgrace, and disapproval. It is extremely offensive when used to insult someone.
kàn lín lāu-bú chhàu chi-bai (), often abbreviated to kàn lín lāu-bú () or simply "kàn lín niâ" (), is the most notoriously popular Hokkien expletive meaning "fuck your mother's smelly vagina (Cunt can also be substituted in this.)".
Variety of phrases associated with Kan:
kàn lín-niâ () = fuck your mother kàn lín lāu-bú () = fuck your mother kàn lín lāu-bú chhàu chi-bai () = fuck your mother's smelly vagina kàn lín chó͘-má () = fuck your great grandmother kàn lín lāu-su () = fuck your teacher kàn lín-niâ chi-bai () = fuck your mother's vagina kàn lín-niâ chhàu chi-bai () = fuck your mother's smelly vagina kàn lín lāu-bú poah chi-bai () = fuck your mother's broken vagina, literally means "fuck your mother broken vagina" kàn lín-niâ-bú chhàu chi-bai () = fuck your mother's smelly vagina. In Singapore, niâ-bú 娘母 (mother) also exists in other variants of pronunciation such as nâ-bú (a vowel change from niâ to nâ when spoken quickly), nâ-beh (). kàn lí chin-sóng() = literally means "it's cool to rape/fuck you" kàn kah ē khan-si () = literally means "fucking you until it becomes wet". Describing that vagina will become wet and intertwined like a spider web during sexual intercourse lín-niâ (), lín-niâ—leh () or lín-niâ khah-hó () = short form for kàn lín-niâ (), meaning "fuck your mother". sio-kàn () = means having sex, fucking each other, to fuck tio̍h kàn () = to get fucked hiông-kàn () = expression used in anger, meaning "go get fucked!" khí-kàn () = start scolding someone in vulgarity, start swearing kàn kha-tshng () = sodomy, anal or oral sex káu-kàn-tūi() = to curse someone being fucked/raped by a dog hō͘-káu-kàn-kàn leh () = to curse someone to be fucked by a dog
Others
poah (撥) - to fuck or fucking bôa (磨)- literally 'to rub' or 'to grind'. Slang for 'having sex', the imagery being two bodies rubbing against each other. tēⁿ (捏)- literally 'to squeeze' or 'to lie on something'. Slang for 'fuck'. "lí hō͘ lâng tēⁿ" (汝予人捏) - you let yourself get (squeezed). sè (勢) - literally 'to whack'. Slang for 'fuck'. "lí hō͘ lâng sè" (汝予人勢) (you let yourself get fucked). kā (咬) - literally 'to bite'; slang for fellatio. Expression: "lí khàm goá lān-chiáu" (汝崁我𡳞鳥) (suck my cock), used in anger as in "up yours!" khàm (崁)- literally 'to cover'; slang for fellatio. Expression: "khàm lān" (崁𡳞) (stupid cock). phah chhíu-chhèng (拍手銃)- literally 'to fire a hand-gun'; slang for male masturbation chhīu-ni/chhiū-leng (樹奶) - literally 'rubber'; slang for condom
Vulgarities involving sexual organs
Female organs chi-bai (膣屄) - vagina; cunt chhàu chi-bai (臭膣屄)- smelly vagina ni, leng (奶)- breast
Male organs lān-chiáu (𡳞鳥) - penis; also used as an expression to indicate incredulity, as in the English "Bullshit!". Expressions: koài-lān (怪𡳞) - literally 'weird penis', used to call somebody fucked up or abnormal. kóng lān-chiáu oe (講𡳞鳥話) - to talk rubbish khoàⁿ siáⁿ-mih lān-chiáu? (看啥物𡳞鳥) - "What the hell are you looking at?" lām-pha (𡳞脬)- scrotum; also used as an expression to indicate incredulity, as in the English "Bollocks!" Nasal assimilation takes place as the onset of the second syllable is a bilabial, turning the underlying form /n/ in the coda of the first syllable to the surface form /m/. lān-hu̍t (𡳞核) - testes; used in a similar way as the above examples.
Gender-neutral organs kha-chhng (尻川) - buttocks or anus kha-chhng khang (尻川孔) - anus; arsehole
Vulgarities without sexual references
khàu-pē khàu-bú (哭爸哭母) - literally 'cry father cry mother', refers to annoying and noisy complaining. This expression is considered vulgar possibly due to the practice of professional mourners wailing for the dead; one using this phrase would be inauspicious due to the allusion to this practice.
Hokkien profanities grouped by word Hokkien profanities – Chi-bai –Pe̍h-ōe-jīHàn-jīliteral meaningEnglish translationNoteschi-bai膣屄cuntchhàu chi-bai臭膣屄smelly cunt – Kàn –Pe̍h-ōe-jīHàn-jīliteral meaningEnglish translationNoteskàn姦to fuckkàn lín chó͘-má姦恁祖媽to fuck your grandmotherkàn lín lāu-bú姦恁老母to fuck your motherkàn lín lāu-bú chhàu chi-bai姦恁老母臭膣屄to fuck your mother's smelly cuntkàn lín lāu-su姦恁老師to fuck your teacherOften used in Taiwan.kàn lín niâ姦恁娘to fuck your motherPronounced as kan ni na in Singapore and Malaysiakàn lín niâ chhàu chi-bai姦恁娘臭膣屄to fuck your mother's smelly cunttio̍h-kàn著姦to be fuckedThe prefix 著 (tioh8) implies passive. – Khàu –Pe̍h-ōe-jīHàn-jīliteral meaningEnglish translationNoteskhàu哭to crykhàu iau哭枵to cry for hunger哭 (khau3) means to cry, and 枵 (iau1) means hunger.khàu pē哭爸to cry for father哭 (khau3) means to cry, and 爸 (pe7) means father. – Lān –Pe̍h-ōe-jīHàn-jīliteral meaningEnglish translationNoteslān𡳞male reproductive systemlān-chiáu𡳞鳥penisbullshitlān-hu̍t(-á)𡳞核(-仔)testesbullshitlān-pha𡳞脬scrotumbollockslān-sîn𡳞神the god of penislazy manōe hó͘ lān畫虎𡳞to draw the tiger's penisboast – Siâu –Pe̍h-ōe-jīHàn-jīliteral meaningEnglish translationNotessiâu潲semenchia̍h siâu食潲to eat semenno waygê-siâu㤉潲to loathe, dislikegia̍t-siâu孽潲be naughtyhau-siâu嘐潲boastFor example, Mái thiaⁿ i teh hau-siâu! (Don't believe what he says!).siáⁿ-siâu啥潲what the hellFor example, Lí sī teh kóng siáⁿ-siâu haⁿh?! (What the hell are you talking about?!).soe-siâu衰潲be unluckyFor example, Kin-á-ji̍t chin soe-siâu! (It's an unlucky day!).chhap-siâu插潲to care aboutFor example, Mái kā i chhap-siâu lah! (Don't care about it!). – Others –Pe̍h-ōe-jīHàn-jīliteral meaningEnglish translationNoteskha-chhng尻川assbuttocks or anuslín chó͘-má恁祖媽your grandmotherfirst personal pronounUsed by female speakers as a rude modality, see Hokkien pronouns.lín niâ恁娘your motherlín pē恁爸your fatherfirst personal pronounUsed by male speakers as a rude modality, see Hokkien pronouns.tio̍h-kâu著猴be monkey-liketo become crazycha̍p-chéng雜種/十種mixed breed / ten breedmongrel; fuckerpiáu-siⁿ婊生prostitute/bitch-bornson of a bitch; bastardsoaⁿ-kâu山猴mountain monkeystupid; clueless; foolchhàu-hǐ臭耳smelly eardeaf; rude; brusquechhàu-hoan臭番smelly foreigner / barbarianroughshod; lowlysiáu-siáu痟痟insane; madcrazy; dumbiáu-siū夭壽die youngDamn!
References