Niubi! The Real Chinese You Were Never Taught in School

色狼 sèláng (suh lahng)

Literally “colored wolf.” A lecherous man. Like liúmáng (above), women often use this to describe men who are aggressively hitting on them. Originally it referred exclusively to older men who prey on younger women, but now it refers to men of any age.

色迷迷的 sèmīmīdè (suh me me duh)

Lecherous. Literally “colored fantasy.” A lecherous man, synonymous with liúmáng or sèláng (above), is a 色迷迷的男人 sèmīmīdè nánrén (suh me me duh nahn ren), and you would say that he has 色迷迷的眼神 sèmīmīdè yǎnshén (suh me me duh yen shen), or “sex in his eyes,” literally “colored eyes.”

下流 xiàliú (shah lew)

Perverted. Literally “below flowing.”

调戏 tiáoxì (tyow she)

To take advantage of or harass a woman. Most often used to refer to a man verbally assaulting a woman with obscene words.

花老头 huā lǎotóu (hwa laow toe)

Dirty old man.

咸猪手 xiánzhūshǒu (shin joo show)

Groping. Used in Taiwan and Guangdong Province. Literally “salty pig hands.” In Taiwan and Guangdong, a man who pays unwanted sexual attention to a woman (groping, etc.) is called a 猪哥 zhūgē (joo guh), literally “pig brother.”

暴露狂 bàolù kuáng (baow loo kwahng)

Flash, flashing. Literally “showing crazy person.”

恶趣味 è qùwèi (uh chee way)

Literally “repulsive interests.” Originating in Japan, the term refers to five types of sexual perversion: (1) interest in young girls, (2) homosexuality, (3) bondage and sadomasochism, (4) Freudian issues-for example an Oedipus complex-and (5) incest.

乱伦 luànlún (lwun lwen)

Incest. Literally “messy logical sequence.”

希腊剧 xīlàjù (she la jee)

Incest. Literally “Greek play.”

性骚扰 xìngsāorǎo (sheeng saow raow)

Sexual assault, molestation. Literally “sex interrupts.”

怪叔叔 guài shūshu (gwhy shoo shoo)

Pedophile. Literally “weird uncle.” Used in Taiwan.

强奸 qiángjiān (chyahng gin)

Rape. Literally “forced sex.”

Crime

罪犯 zuìfàn (dzway fahn)

Criminal.

拎包党 līn bāo dǎng (leen baow dahng)

Purse snatcher.

三只手 sān zhī shǒu (sahn jih show)

Pickpocket. Literally “three hands.”

小偷 xiǎotōu (shyaow toe)

Thief. Literally “little steal.”

顺 shùn (shwen) or 顺走 shùn zǒu (shwen dzoe)

Beijing slang for “steal.” Literally “smooth” and “smoothly walk away,” respectively.

纵火 zònghuǒ (dzohng hwuh)

Arson. Literally “start fire.”

走私 zǒusī (dzoe sih)

Smuggling. Literally “go private.”

黄牛 huángníu (hwahng nyoo)

Literally “yellow ox.” A ticket scalper or someone who buys and sells foreign currency on the black market-the sight of a mob of people trying to get tickets resembles a herd of cows. Can also mean a person who doesn’t repay debts. Originated in Shanghai but now used everywhere.

洗钱 xǐqián (she chin)

Money laundering.

敲诈 qiāozhà (chyow jah)

Blackmail. Literally “knock cheat.”

行贿 xínghuì (sheeng hway)

Bribery.

封口费 fēng kǒu fèi (fung koe fay)

Hush money.

非法集资 fēifǎ jízī (fay fah gee dz)

Ponzi scheme.

盗车贼 dào chē zéi (daow chuh dzay)

Motor vehicle theft. Literally “car stealer.”

贩毒 fàndú (fahn do)

Trafficking/smuggling drugs. Literally “selling drugs.”

毒枭 dúxiāo (doo shaow)

Drug lord.

黑 hēi (hay)

In Chinese anything illegal is called “black,” or hēi. Thus the black market is the 黑市 hēishì (hay shih) (the literal meaning is the same as the English); an illegal cab is a 黑车 hēichē (hay chuh), literally “black car”; cooking the books results in a 黑单 hēidān (hay dahn), literally “black accounting”; a bad call in sports or an unfair decision by a judge, who may or may not have been bribed, is a 黑哨 hēishào (hay shaow), literally “black whistle”; and any sort of misdeed is a 黑点 hēidiǎn (hay dyi