王八 (wáng bā)
What does 王八 (wáng bā) mean? 王八 (wáng bā) is a Chinese strong that translates to “bastard / cuckold” in English.
Literal Translation
turtle / tortoise
Meaning & Usage
"bastard / cuckold"
Turtle; slang for cuckold or bastard.
Examples in the Wild
你这个王八！ (Nǐ zhège wángba! - You bastard!)
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
Turtles symbolize cuckoldry (wearing green hat). Calling someone 'wangba' implies their partner cheats on them or they are illegitimate. Short for 王八蛋 (turtle egg).
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.