拍马屁 (pāi mǎ pì)
What does 拍马屁 (pāi mǎ pì) mean? 拍马屁 (pāi mǎ pì) is a Chinese moderate that translates to “brown-noser / ass-kisser / suck-up” in English.
Literal Translation
pat horse butt
Meaning & Usage
"brown-noser / ass-kisser / suck-up"
Person who flatters superiors; brown-noser.
Examples in the Wild
他总是拍马屁 (Tā zǒngshì pāi mǎpì - He always brown-noses)
When to Use It
Context
- Casual conversations with friends
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Idiomatic insult based on equestrian imagery. 'Pai mapi' implies risk of getting kicked by the horse, showing foolishness of the flatterer. Common workplace insult.
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.