小三 (xiǎo sān)
What does 小三 (xiǎo sān) mean? 小三 (xiǎo sān) is a Chinese strong that translates to “mistress / the other woman” in English.
Literal Translation
little three
Meaning & Usage
"mistress / the other woman"
Third person in relationship; mistress.
Examples in the Wild
他是小三 (Tā shì xiǎosān - She is the mistress)
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
Numerical slang: third wheel in marriage (wife = 1, husband = 2, mistress = 3). Socially stigmatized role in Chinese culture where extramarital affairs are common but condemned.
More in Chinese 🇨🇳
View all →傻逼
“dumbass / fucking idiot / stupid cunt”
Highly vulgar term combining stupidity with female genitalia. Extremely offensive.
肏你妈 (cào nǐ mā)
“fuck your mother”
Sexual violation of the listener's mother.
SB / 2B
“stupid cunt / dumbass”
Romanized abbreviation for 傻逼.
狗东西 (gǒu dōng xi)
“son of a bitch / dog thing / cur”
Contemptible person; literally 'dog thing/object.'
操你妈
“motherfucker / fuck your mother”
The gravest insult in Mandarin. Directly attacks the target's mother sexually.
操
“fuck”
The most vulgar verb meaning 'to fuck.' Often written with substitute character 操 (exercise) to avoid censorship.
草泥马 (cǎo ní mǎ) [euphemism]
“fuck your mother (euphemism)”
Homophonic substitution for 肏你妈 (fuck your mother).
鸭子 (yā zi)
“duck / gigolo / male prostitute”
Duck; slang for male prostitute.