Cantonese profanity: Difference between revisions
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''cat6 tau4'' (柒頭) can be loosely translated as "dickhead". |
''cat6 tau4'' (柒頭) can be loosely translated as "dickhead". |
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A common euphemism is 七 cat1 (seven), which only differs in the tone. Other euphemisms include 刷 ''caat3'' (to brush) and 賊 ''caak6'' (thieves). As a result, thieves that are easily caught by the police are often intentionally |
A common euphemism is 七 cat1 (seven), which only differs in the tone. Other euphemisms include 刷 ''caat3'' (to brush) and 賊 ''caak6'' (thieves). As a result, thieves that are easily caught by the police are often intentionally described as 笨賊 ''ban6 caak6'' (stupid thieves) in the newspaper to achieve the humorous effects from the phrase ''ban6 cat6''. |
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===''Hai''=== |
===''Hai''=== |
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Revision as of 06:44, 1 November 2013
The five most common Cantonese profanities', vulgar words in the Cantonese language (a dialect of Chinese) are diu ([屌] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)), gau ([鳩] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)), lan ([𨶙] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)), tsat ([柒] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)) and hai ([閪] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)), where the first literally means fuck, while the rest are sexual organs of either gender.[1] They are sometimes collectively known as the "outstanding five in Cantonese" ([廣東話一門五傑] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)).[2] These five words are generally offensive and give rise to a variety of euphemisms. Similar to the seven dirty words in the USA, these five words are forbidden and bleep-censored on Hong Kong broadcast television. Other curse phrases, such as puk gai (仆街) and ham gaa caan ([冚家鏟] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)), are also common.
Vulgar words
Diu
Diu (traditional Chinese: [[[Wikt:𨳒|𨳒]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help) or [[[Wikt:屌|屌]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help); Jyutping: diu2), literally meaning fuck, is a common but grossly vulgar profanity in Cantonese. In a manner similar to the English word fuck, diu expresses dismay, disgrace, and disapproval. Examples of expressions include diu nei! (屌你！ or 𨳒你！, fuck you!), diu nei lou mou! (屌你老母 or 𨳒你老母, fuck your old mother). The latter one is particularly considered as grossly offensive and is one of the most serious offences one can make.
The word diu was originally a noun meaning the penis and evolved as a verb.[3] Regarded as a grossly vulgar word in Cantonese, the word has gained a new meaning in Taiwan to refer to "cool". In this context, the mandarin pronunciation may not be censored on TV broadcasts but the original Cantonese pronunciation is still a taboo.
Certain euphemisms exist, including siu (小) (small/little), tsiu (超), yiu (妖) and tiu (挑).[4]
Gau
Gau (Chinese: 𨳊; Jyutping: gau1), sometimes wrongly written as [[[Wikt:尻|尻]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)(haau1) despite different pronunciations.,[5] is a vulgar Cantonese word which literally means a cock[disambiguation needed] or cocky.[1]
A common phrase ngong6 gau1 ([[[Wikt:戇|戇]]𨳊] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)) is an adjective that may be loosely translated as a "dumbass".[6] Cantonese phrase mou4 lei4 tau4 gau1 ([無厘頭尻] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)) that means "makes no sense" was cut to mou4 lei4 tau4 to avoid the sound gau1.[5] Similar to fucking in English, this word is usually used as an adverb. Compare this:
- 痴線 (crazy)
- 痴𨳊線 (fucking crazy)
Two common euphemisms gau, which only differ in the tone, include 九 gau2 (nine) and 狗 gau2 (dog, but it may change the original "dumbass" meaning into "cunning" instead).
Lan
In Cantonese lan (Chinese: 𨶙; Jyutping: lan2), sometimes idiomatically written as [[[Wikt:撚|撚]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help) lun, is another vulgar word that means penis.[1] Similar to gau, this word is also usually used as an adverb.
lan yeung ([撚樣] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)) can be loosely translated as "dickface".[7]
Euphemism includes 懶 laan (lazy) or 能 nang (able to).
Tsat
In Cantonese, Tsat (Chinese: 𨳍; Jyutping: cat6), sometimes idiomatically written as [[[Wikt:柒|柒]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help), is a vulgar word for an erect penis. Its American English equivalent is "boner". Ban6 cat6 (笨柒) (stupid dick) is a more common phrase among others. However, it is usually used as a vulgar adjective especially among the youth. It means "ugly" or "shameful".
cat6 tau4 (柒頭) can be loosely translated as "dickhead".
A common euphemism is 七 cat1 (seven), which only differs in the tone. Other euphemisms include 刷 caat3 (to brush) and 賊 caak6 (thieves). As a result, thieves that are easily caught by the police are often intentionally described as 笨賊 ban6 caak6 (stupid thieves) in the newspaper to achieve the humorous effects from the phrase ban6 cat6.
Hai
In Cantonese hai (traditional Chinese: [[[:wikt:閪|閪]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help) or [[[Wikt:屄|屄]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help); Jyutping: hai1) is a common vulgar word that literally means vulva or vagina. The English equivalent is "cunt". 屄 is more common on the mainland of China, with 閪 being used in Hong Kong and Macao. The Chinese character 屄 consists of two parts: the upper part is 尸 that means "body" while the bottom part [[[Wikt:穴|穴]]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help) means "a hole". The Chinese character thus literally means a "hole at the bottom of the body".[1] Two common phrases include [[[Wikt:傻|傻]]閪] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help) so4 hai1 (silly cunt) and 臭閪 cau3 hai1 (stinking cunt).
A common euphemism is 西 sai1 (west). The phrase 西口西面 sai1 hau2 sai1 min6 (west mouths and west faces) is often used to describe women who have an impolite look. Some words that are associated with western culture such as 西人 sai1 yan4 (Westerners) may become Cantonese jokes that base on the ambiguity of these vocabularies. Other euphemisms haai4 include 鞋 (shoes) and 蟹 "haai5" (crabs). As a result, crabs are sometimes intentionally linked with other words such as stinking and water to achieve some vagina-related humorous effects.
The word hai can also mean total failure as in the phrase hai saai ([閪曬] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)). The Chinese character [曬] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help) means "to expose to the sun", but in Cantonese it is also used as a verbal particle to stress the action.[8] To further stress the failure, sometimes the phrase hai gau saai is used (the word gau that means penis is put in between the original phrase). Since this phrase is highly offensive (it consists two of the five vulgar words), a euphemism or xiehouyu, a kind of Chinese "proverb", is sometimes used. As in a normal xiehouyu, it consists of two elements: the former segment presents a scenario while the latter provides the rationale thereof. One would often only state the first part, expecting the listener to know the second. The first part is "a man and a woman having a sunbath (naked)" ([男女日光浴] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)). Since the penis and vagina are both exposed to the sun, the second part is hai1 gau1 saai3 ([閪𨳊曬] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help)) — a pun for total failure.[8] Therefore, if one wants to say that something is a total failure, she only has to say [男女日光浴] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language tag: zh-yue (help), and the listener will understand the intended meaning.
Other curse phrases
Puk gaai
Puk gai (Chinese: 仆街; Cantonese Yale: puk1 gaai1) literally means "falling onto street", which is a common curse phrase in Cantonese that may be translated into English as "drop dead". It is sometimes used as a noun to refer to an annoying person that roughly means a "prick". The phrase can also be used in daily life under a variety of situations to express annoyance, disgrace or other emotions.[9] Since the phrase does not involve any sexual organs or reference to sex, some argue that it should not be considered as profanity.[10] Nevertheless, "PK" is often used as a euphemism for the phrase.[11] The written form can be seen on graffiti in Hong Kong and other places in Guangdong, China.
In Southeast Asia, the meaning of the phrase has evolved and it is no longer a profanity, and is usually taken to mean "epic fail". The term is even used in a colloquial sense by Malaysian Malays, in which case it is usually rendered as "pokai".
Ham gaa caan
Ham6 gaa1 caan2 (Chinese: 冚家鏟; Jyutping: ham6 gaa1 caan2) is another common curse phrase in Cantonese that literally means "may your whole family be dead".[9] Interestingly, 鏟 caan2 means a shovel or to shovel, which possibly relates to a funeral and ultimately to the meaning of death. Like puk6 gaai1, the phrase can both be used to mean "prick" or to express annoyance, but be wary for many find "Haam gaa caan" much more offensive than "puk gai".[9]
冚家拎 Ham6 gaa1 ling1, 冚家富貴 ham6 gaa1 fu3 gwai3 (may the whole family be rich) or 冚家祥 ham gaa cheung (may the whole family be fortunate) are common variant but 拎 ling (to take/carry something) has little logical relations with the original phrase. Adding the words ham gaa (whole family) in front of a bless can actually reverse the meaning. The appropriate word for "the whole family" is 全家 chuen gaa to avoid any negative meanings.
Legal issues
In Hong Kong, there are specific laws that forbid the usage of profanity in public. For instance, by Hong Kong law any person shall not "use obscene language … in Ocean Park", carrying "an offence is liable on conviction to a fine at level 1 and to imprisonment for 1 month";[12] in the MTR, it is prohibited to "use any threatening, abusive, obscene or offensive language …."[13] However, despite the explicit prohibition by various laws, the exact definition of "obscene language" is not given in the ordinance.[14]
See also
Notes and references
Notes
- ^ a b c d Pang, 3.
- ^ Pang, preface.
- ^ Pang, 7.
- ^ Pang, 116-117.
- ^ a b Pang, 29.
- ^ Pang, 108.
- ^ Pang, 102.
- ^ a b Pang, 109.
- ^ a b c "Curse phrase dictionary" (in Chinese). Cantonese Profanity Research Site. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ Pang, 55.
- ^ Pang, 56.
- ^ Hong Kong Ordinance Cap 388B §5 Conduct of public.
- ^ Hong Kong Ordinance Cap 556B Bylaw 28H Abusive language.
- ^ "Legal issues of using obscene language" (in Chinese). Cantonese Profanity Research Site. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
References
- Robert S. Bauer and Paul K. Benedict (1997). Modern Cantonese Phonology. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-014893-5. Part of the chapter 3 concerns Cantonese profanity.
- Kingsley Bolton and Christopher Hutton, "Bad boys and bad language: chou hau and the sociolinguistics of swearwords in Hong Kong Cantonese", in Grant Evans and Maria Tam ed. (1997). Hong Kong: the Anthropology of a Chinese Metropolis. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon. ISBN 0-7007-0601-1.
- Pang, Chi Ming (2007). Little Dogs are too Lazy to Polish Shoes (小狗懶擦鞋): a Study of Hong Kong Profanity Culture (in Chinese). Hong Kong Subculture Publishing. ISBN 978-962-992-161-3.