🇨🇳

China — Phrase #1

🔥#1 National Classic

他妈的 (Tā mā de)

tʰa˥ ma˥˥ tə
Literal: His mother's...
Feels like: China's most widely recognizable swear — the "unfinished sentence" where what's left unsaid does the work. Common as general emphasis in casual speech. Lu Xun called it China's "national curse" in 1925; it remains highly legible today, though modern profanity has diversified considerably
CurrentAdult/Universal⚠️⚠️ Moderate
Permalink

More "National Classic" from Other Countries

🔥#1 National Classic🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Bloody hell

/ˈblʌdi hɛl/
CurrentAdult⚠️ Mild
🔥#1 National Classic🇮🇪 Ireland

Feck!

/fɛk/
CurrentAdult/Universal⚠️ Mild

Ya bawbag!

/jɑ ˈbɔːbæɡ/
CurrentAdult/Universal⚠️⚠️ Moderate
🔥#1 National Classic🇺🇸 United States

Fuck!

/fʌk/
CurrentAdult/Universal⚠️⚠️ Moderate