Learn to Swear With This List of Banned News Report Terms
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China’s central government has long kept tight reins on the censorship of all forms of media, periodically releasing a list of updated terms that may no longer be used by media publications. While some terms appear to have been banned because they are outdated and discriminatory to minorities, others are more perplexing.
In the interest of perpetuating the Barbra Streisand effect of censorship, here are some of our favorite banned terms, as denoted by the state news agency Xinhua:
Cyberspeak
男神/女神 (nán shén/nǚshén)
Literally: God/goddess
Meaning: Someone you fancy a lot
Example sentence:
吴亦凡是很多女生的男神。
Wúyìfán shì hěnduō nǚshēng de nán shén.
Many girls fancy Kris Wu.
蛋疼 (dàn téng)
Literally: Egg ache
Meaning: Extremely bored
Sample sentence:
他很长时间不没上班，在家闲得蛋疼。
Tā hěn cháng shíjiān bù méi shàngbān, zàijiā xián dé dàn téng.
He hasn’t been to work for a long time, and he is bored to death.
绿茶婊 (lǜchá biǎo)
Literally: Green tea bitch
Meaning: Girls who appear innocent but are in fact, well, bitches
Sample sentence:
她当面一套背后一套，是个典型的绿茶婊。
Tā dāngmiàn yī tào bèihòu yī tào, shì gěi diǎnxíng de lǜchá biǎo.
She is a typical “green tea bitch,” she acts one way to your face and another behind your back.
装逼 (zhuāng bī)
Literally: Pretend c**t
Meaning: Pretentious
Sample sentence:
他在女生面前特别喜欢装逼 。
Tā zài nǚshēng miànqián tèbié xǐhuān zhuāng bī.
He tends to act pretentiously in front of girls.
Swear Words
哇噻 (wā sāi)
Literally: I f**K
Meaning: Wow!
When to use it: To express your amazement or excitement
Sample sentence:
哇噻，这个地方太美了！
Wa sāi, zhège dìfāng tàiměile!
Wow, this place is so beautiful!
妈的 (mā de)
Literally: Mother’s
Meaning: Oh shit!
Proper usage:
这是你妈的外套吗？
Zhè shì nǐ mā de wàitào ma?
Is this your mother’s coat?
Improper usage:
这个月的工资还没发，妈的！
Zhège yuè de gōngzī hái méi fā, mā de!
I still haven't been paid, damn it!
Words that refer to people with special needs
瞎子 (xiā zi)
Literally: Blind
Use 盲人 máng rén “visually-challenged” instead.
傻子 shǎzi "fool" and 弱智 ruò zhì "retard"
Use 智障者 zhìzhàng zhě "mentally challenged" instead of these two words.
Words that concern minorities
蒙古大夫 (ménggǔ dàfū)
Literally: Mongolian doctor
Meaning: Incompetent/quack doctor. Traditional Mongolian medicine has long been criticized as unscientific since many ancient doctors in Mongolia relied on magic and spiritual powers to cure illness.
Sample sentence:
他根本没正经学过医学，简直是位蒙古大夫。
Tā gēnběn méi zhèngjīng xuéguò yīxué, jiǎnzhí shì wèi ménggǔ dàfū.
He didn’t receive any formal medical training, he is just a Mongolian doctor.
Words with political significance
Don’t use 解放前/后 (jiěfàng qián/hòu) "before/after the liberation,” use 中华人民共和国成立前/后 (zhōnghuá rénmín gònghéguó chénglì qián/hòu) "before/after the foundation of the People’s Republican of China," or 一九四九年前/后 (1949 nián qián/hòu) "before/after the year of 1949."
When reporting casualties in international wars, don’t use the word 击毙 jī bì "shot dead" or 牺牲 xī shēng "sacrifice," use neutral words like 打死 dǎ sǐ "kill."
In hostage reports, do not use 斩首 zhǎn shǒu "decapitation," instead, use neutral languages such as 被砍头杀害 bèi kǎn tóu shā hài "beheaded and killed."
READ: Mandarin Monday: Choosing a Chinese Name 101 (So as to Avoid Sounding Like a Weirdo)
Photo: pexels.com
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