王八蛋
What does 王八蛋 mean? 王八蛋 is a Chinese severe that translates to “bastard / scumbag” in English.
Literal Translation
turtle egg / king eight egg
Meaning & Usage
"bastard / scumbag"
Ancient insult implying illegitimacy. 'Wangba' refers to a turtle (symbol of cuckoldry), implying one's mother was unfaithful.
Examples in the Wild
这个王八蛋骗了我！(Zhège wángbādàn piàn le wǒ!) - That bastard cheated me!
When to Use It
Context
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Only among very close friends who share this register
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Public spaces — will cause genuine offense
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Classic insult implying the person's mother cheated (turtles don't know their fathers). Attacks family honor severely.
More in Chinese 🇨🇳
View all →去你的 (qù nǐ de)
“go to hell / fuck off / get lost”
Milder way to tell someone to go away.
他妈的
“fuck / damn / fucking hell”
The most common Chinese expletive. Literally 'his mother's' but used as all-purpose profanity.
BT
“pervert / psycho / BT”
Abbreviation for 变态 (biàntài - pervert).
操你妈
“motherfucker / fuck your mother”
The gravest insult in Mandarin. Directly attacks the target's mother sexually.
肏你妈 (cào nǐ mā)
“fuck your mother”
Sexual violation of the listener's mother.
狗东西 (gǒu dōng xi)
“son of a bitch / dog thing / cur”
Contemptible person; literally 'dog thing/object.'
操
“fuck”
The most vulgar verb meaning 'to fuck.' Often written with substitute character 操 (exercise) to avoid censorship.
鸭子 (yā zi)
“duck / gigolo / male prostitute”
Duck; slang for male prostitute.