他妈的 ta1 ma1 de3 🔊

Usage examples

• 他妈的，我忘了带钥匙！
  Tā mā de, wǒ wàngle dài yàoshi!
  Fuck, I forgot to bring my keys!
• 你他妈的在说什么？
  Nǐ tā mā de zài shuō shénme?
  What the fuck are you talking about?

Etymology

他妈的 (tā mā de) is one of the most widely used Mandarin expletives, literally meaning "his mother's" — a possessive construction left syntactically dangling to function as a general-purpose intensifier or curse. The phrase likely evolved as a euphemistic shortening of longer maternal insults that are common across Chinese dialects, following a pattern where the taboo is implied rather than stated directly. Lu Xun, one of China's most celebrated 20th-century writers, famously analyzed this phrase in his 1925 essay "On 'Tā Mā De'" (论他妈的), noting it as the quintessential national expletive. The tone numbers in the romanization — tā (1st), mā (1st), de (neutral/3rd) — correspond to standard Pinyin tone marking.

Cultural notes

他妈的 is arguably the most versatile and widely recognized Mandarin expletive. Unlike 肏 (cào), which is an explicit sexual verb, 他妈的 functions more as a general intensifier, exclamation, or expression of frustration — closer in usage to the English "damn it" or "what the fuck." It can be inserted mid-sentence, used as a standalone outburst, or appended to other insults. Despite its ubiquity in street speech, online discourse, and informal conversation among younger generations, it remains strongly taboo in formal settings, on broadcast media, and in written standard Chinese. The phrase is understood across all Mandarin-speaking regions including mainland China, Taiwan, and diaspora communities worldwide. Lu Xun's famous essay gave the phrase a degree of cultural legitimacy as a linguistic and social phenomenon.

Same meaning, other languages

Accuracy

44% of 18 voters say this translation is accurate.