Hokkien profanity

Hokkien is the largest dialect group worldwide. Chinese dialects are languages in their own right, unlike dialects of Indo-European languages, and are not readily mutually intelligible. The main reason why they have not historically been accorded language status is that they have no extensive literary tradition apart from opera librettos. Many dialect words have not been assigned a standardised Chinese character to represent them. Thus, it is almost impossible to find these common expressions in any form of literature despite the popularity of their use in everyday life for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Many regard Hokkien as having the highest frequency of crude expressions in daily conversation, a characteristic which lends it a unique flavour.

Most frequently F-word

• Kàn (干)- to fuck. Expressions:
  • "Kàn ni na-bu chhau chi-bai"; often abbreviated to "kàn ni na-bu" or simply "kàn ni na"- the most notoriously popular Hokkien expletive meaning "fuck your mother's smelly cunt". Amazingly not considered very rude in Singapore by rough-edged young male and female Hokkiens popularly known as Ah Bengs & Ah Lians respectively and often interjected in passing, more to express frustration than anger, into perfectly normal social discourse. However, an average Chinese Singaporean would consider it to be extremely vulgar. Some would advise that these are the words that will be referred to the respective authorities (case by case basis).
  • "Sio kàn" - to fuck
  • "Tioh kàn" (着干)- to get fucked
  • "Hiong kàn/hong kàn" - expression used in anger, meaning "go get fucked!"
• Chi-bai - vagina; cunt
• Chao-chee-bai - smelly vagina
• Phuh - to fuck
• Ni (奶)- breast

C-word (Cock)

• Lān-chiáu (門+能 鳥) - penis; also used as an expression to indicate incredulity, as in the English "Bullshit!". Expressions:
  • Kóng lān-chiáu oe (講 門+能 鳥 話) - to talk rubbish
  • Khoà sim-mih lān-chiáu? (看 甚麼 門+能 鳥) - "What the hell are you looking at?"
• Lān-pha - scrotum; also used as an expression to indicate incredulity, as in the English "Bollocks!"
• Lān-hút - testes; used in a similar way as the above examples.

Not so vulgar

• Khha-chhng (尻川) - buttocks or anus
• Kha-chhng khang (尻川孔) - anus; arsehole
• Phah chhíu-chhèng (打手枪)- literally 'to fire a hand-gun'; slang for male masturbation
• Bôa (磨)- literally 'to rub' or 'to grind'. Slang for 'having sex', the imagery being two bodies rubbing against each other.
• Teh - literally 'to squeeze' or 'to lie on something'. Slang for 'fuck'. Expression:
  • "li hor lang teh" (you let yourself get (squeezed).
• Se - literally 'to whack'. Slang for 'fuck'. Expression:
  • "li hor lang se" (you let yourself get fucked).
• Kā (咬) - literally 'to bite'; slang for fellatio. Expression:
  • "lan chiao li ka" (suck my cock), used in anger as in "up yours!"
• Khàm (蓋)- literally 'to cover'; slang for fellatio. Expression:
  • "khàm lān" (蓋 門+能) (stupid cock).
• Chhīu-ni (樹柅) - literally 'rubber'; slang for condom