烂人
What does 烂人 mean? 烂人 is a Chinese strong that translates to “scumbag / rotten person” in English.
Literal Translation
rotten person
Meaning & Usage
"scumbag / rotten person"
Someone morally rotten, corrupt, or of very low character.
Examples in the Wild
他是个烂人。(Tā shì ge lànrén.) - He's a scumbag.
When to Use It
Context
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Implies fundamental moral corruption. Less vulgar but deeply insulting to character.
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.