他妈的
What does 他妈的 mean? 他妈的 is a Chinese severe that translates to “fuck / damn / fucking hell” in English.
Literal Translation
his mother's
Meaning & Usage
"fuck / damn / fucking hell"
The most common Chinese expletive. Literally 'his mother's' but used as all-purpose profanity.
Examples in the Wild
他妈的！我忘了！(Tā mā de! Wǒ wàng le!) - Damn! I forgot!
When to Use It
Context
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Only among very close friends who share this register
- As a spontaneous exclamation
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
Ubiquitous across all social classes. Shortened to 妈的 (mā de). Attacks family indirectly but considered vulgar.
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.
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.
牛屄 (niú bī)
“badass / awesome / fucking great”
Awesome, cool, powerful; literally 'cow vagina.'