草泥马 (cǎo ní mǎ) [euphemism]
What does 草泥马 (cǎo ní mǎ) [euphemism] mean? 草泥马 (cǎo ní mǎ) [euphemism] is a Chinese severe that translates to “fuck your mother (euphemism)” in English.
Literal Translation
grass mud horse (alpaca)
Meaning & Usage
"fuck your mother (euphemism)"
Homophonic substitution for 肏你妈 (fuck your mother).
Examples in the Wild
草泥马！真麻烦！ (Cǎo ní mǎ! What a hassle! - appears innocent, means FYM)
When to Use It
Context
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Only among very close friends who share this register
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
The most famous example of Chinese internet censorship evasion. 草 (cǎo - grass) sounds like 肏 (cào - fuck), 泥 (ní - mud) sounds like 你 (nǐ - you), 马 (mǎ - horse) sounds like 妈 (mā - mother). The 'Grass Mud Horse' became a viral meme and actual alpaca mascot for free speech. Demonstrates how Chinese netizens use tonal homophones to bypass the Great Firewall.
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.
操你妈
“motherfucker / fuck your mother”
The gravest insult in Mandarin. Directly attacks the target's mother sexually.
BT
“pervert / psycho / BT”
Abbreviation for 变态 (biàntài - pervert).
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.