卖豆腐 (mài dòu fu)
What does 卖豆腐 (mài dòu fu) mean? 卖豆腐 (mài dòu fu) is a Chinese severe that translates to “prostitute oneself / sex work” in English.
Literal Translation
sell tofu
Meaning & Usage
"prostitute oneself / sex work"
To sell one's body; prostitution.
Examples in the Wild
她在卖豆腐 (Tā zài mài dòufu - She's selling tofu - She's a prostitute)
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
- Mixed company or unfamiliar social groups
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Euphemism for prostitution. Origin: soft texture of tofu implies female body. Be careful when asking if someone likes tofu—it may be misinterpreted.
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.