(wáng ba dàn) - bastard, swine (strong insult) in Mandarin
wángbadànTraditional: 王八蛋
Translation
bastard, swine (strong insult)
Word origin
Literally the egg of a 王八 (wáng ba, a turtle), itself an old term of abuse for a man whose wife is unfaithful, so calling someone a turtle's egg questions his parentage.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 王八 (wáng ba, turtle) + 蛋 (dàn, egg)
Stroke order
王
八
蛋
Examples
。
He is an absolute swine.
。
Do not bother with that bastard.
。
Those swine took all the money.
。
I will never forgive that bastard.
句。
He swore at them and walked off.
王八蛋 (wáng ba dàn) is a genuine insult, roughly as strong as bastard or son of a bitch in British English. It is common in films and subtitles, which is why it turns up this high in a frequency list, and it is not a word to try out on anyone.
The middle syllable is neutral tone, wáng ba dàn, and the whole thing usually sits behind 这个, 那个 or 你这个. The related 混蛋 is milder, closer to swine or rotter, and 笨蛋 is almost affectionate by comparison, meaning idiot.
The trap is the same one that catches learners with every borrowed swear word: the register does not transfer. English speakers throw bastard about semi-jokingly among friends, whereas 王八蛋 is aimed to wound and lands that way. Learn it to understand what you are hearing, and leave it in the passive half of your vocabulary.
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王八蛋: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "王八蛋" (bastard, swine (strong insult)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 48.