this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2025
70 points (96.1% liked)

Ask Lemmy

35925 readers
1222 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

What is the rudest thing you can think of to call somebody in a Spanish-type language. Actual geo origin of persons unknown. all genders relevant.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] rauls5@lemmy.zip 35 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Pendejo is the most perfect one. It literally means pubic hair.

Cabrón is very powerful and basically means a man who consents his wife cheating on him. But you can also be a cabrona.

[–] criticon@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago

Buen combo.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Pendejo in Argentina is someone young.

[–] rauls5@lemmy.zip 11 points 2 days ago

It comes from the same meaning. Children used to be really derided in Spanish it was not uncommon to call a kid “un mojón de mangle” : a mangrove turd and there was a saying “los niños hablan cuando las gallinas mean” : Children should only speak when chickens pee. Calling anyone “un pendejo” is dismissing them as nothing or an absolute piece of shit.

Just like Roger Waters did in Mexico when he projected on El Zocalo walls “Trump es un pendejo”

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Here in Spain Cabron can be used in a teasing way between friends, translated as simply "hard headed".

I've been told the worst thing to call someone here is mal nacimiento.

[–] Kiki@leminal.space 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh, so like "cunt" in Australia.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 hours ago

A great rhcp song...had no idea what the word meant and why it was *** on the album ha!

[–] guillem@aussie.zone 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

In Castilian Spanish: if you want something "wanna go outside" level of offensive: hijo de [la grandísima] puta (or hija if it's a she, in square brackets an optional reinforcer). Even if it's jokingly and to a friend' it's something you are careful to not misuse.

Me cago en tu padre/madre is a strong contender too.

[–] Catfish@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Interesting, "your mother" lines are something I only hear as teenage gamer bullshit

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Spanish has a notorious issue with misogynistic insults and machismo. Insulting someone's mother carries more weight.

Insulting mothers also features in Klingon, I've learned. And that is a satisfying language for anger.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 11 points 2 days ago

Not really offencive, but my grandma hated with all her heart the term "mentirosa", lier, if you ever call her that even as joke or light comment she would go like really mad. I never use that words because is inscribed on me that is one of the worst way to call someone.

[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’m pretty sure Trump is “Trump” in Spanish.

[–] eightpix@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Hey! I know that one!

[–] TheMinions@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Coño. The translation varies by country but basically means pussy and is just a vulgar swear word. Pretty tame, but a Colombian I worked with used it super frequently.

[–] guillem@aussie.zone 7 points 2 days ago

I don't know if there are any geographical exceptions but as a native I've never heard "coño" directed at someone as an insult in the same way as "cunt" is, more like a (very rude) exclamation.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Spur4383@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I’m partial to “mal parido” meaning that someone was birthed wrong (hard to translate). You can always add a “de mierda” as a nice touch, or “ándate à la concha de tú madre” to close the insult’s loop.

[–] marighost@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago

Came here to post "malparido." I used to work with a Colombian guy who threw that one around a lot. He was chill.

[–] Nibodhika@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

You just gave me the idea for the best insult ever "volvete a la concha de tu madre, mal parido de mierda, a ver si naces menos choto esta vez"

[–] RePsyche@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I was once told, in certain circumstances, “Que mal creado”, which calls into question the other person’s upbringing, even specifically their Mother, without demeaning oneself, i.e. using swear words.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 8 points 2 days ago

It would be "criado", and more alike to "malcriado". "Creado" is to made, while "criado" is to grew up.

[–] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This thread contains so many words I recognize. I don't speak Spanish, but I've worked with Argentinian geophysicists for years - You'd be surprised to learn how much someone's prostitute parents are relevant to resolving timing drift and background noise.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Mierde en palito = shit on a stick. I learned it from an old school Puerto Rican, and he used it for two things: an arrogant person (not just regular shit, but shit on a stick) and also for when someone is "stirring the pot" or making a drama filled situation worse via gossip, etc (stirring a pot full of shit). But primarily, it is well suited for the arrogant person huffing their own farts and thinking it is the aroma of personal worth.

(There was also the time a friend of mine got tired of looking after young kids and sent two demented nephews of his running through Disney World to see how many people they could greet in Spanish after sincerely telling them that the standard greeting in Spanish is mama me la pinga, but that's more of a direction as opposed to a label. Try mama me la pinga, pinchi pendejo for a nice combo phrase. Also note that online dictionaries often get this wrong: it's the verb mamar and you're not telling your mom you're a dick, lol)

[–] Catfish@aussie.zone 3 points 2 days ago

Perfect for situation! And why I asked people here rather than a dictionary. 😺

[–] Fleeing_snail@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I can think of a couple that haven't been said: desgracia humana, mierda seca. But if you're looking for a list of offensive words here's a great song for you. Enjoy! rata de dos patas

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] papalonian@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I love all the comments in here with zero translation or explanation.

[–] Nibodhika@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

It strongly depends on what you want to offend, where the person is from and the gender. Spanish is spoken in many places, and so has many, many variants. For example calling a gay porteño "puto" is just another Tuesday for him, telling it to a very homosexual Spaniard might be the worst insult ever, telling it to a Mexican he might be lost waiting for the actual curse since they use puto as an emphasis, e.g. "puto chingón".

Also Spanish is a gendered language, I can't even think of a curse that doesn't rely on knowing the receiving end gender, since all have masculine and feminine form. With all of that being said, I think the safest bet would be "Hijo/a de puta", every place I know of uses this curse, and even if one doesn't it's very self understanding (unlike chingón, boludo, or gilipollas which are mainly use in their own countries and people from others might not even be fully aware of them)

[–] niktemadur@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Well... since most of the big ones are taken, I'll throw in:
"Tu madre era una hamster, y tu padre olía a saúco."

EDIT: Actually, now that I remember, the Spanish from Spain have some breathtaking insults, such as:
"Me cago en la leche de tu madre" - "I shit in your mother's milk".

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

collapsed inline mediaMother's Milk character from The Boys

edit: First image link didn't work for whatever reason.

[–] Marthirial@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Cerote. noun, vulgar

A piece of shit.

Mostly Central America.

[–] A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Chinga tu madre = fuck your mother. This works in most dialects afaik and is super offensive.

Puta = whore, hijoputa/hijaputa/hijeputa = son/daughter/child of a whore

Besa mi culo = kiss my ass

Some combination of those will almost guarantee a fight.

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Hijueputa, and is genderless.

It's culo not cullo

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Catfish@aussie.zone 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I thought puta was Greek for Cunt. Def one for the mindbank

Could be for all I know, I dont speak Greek ;)

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] workerONE@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Puta literally means prostitute/whore. If it were a man it would be puto. Perra means bitch (female dog)

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] pigup@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Mojón

South America

A big wet slow piece of shit. Can be used as a insult to intelligence or to moving too slowly if ableism is your thing.

[–] Sybilvane@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 hours ago

Also can be used for someone no one wants to deal with.

Puto = male prostitute

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Nowadays you can really mess people up calling them "picao del caño".

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago

There is a recent viral video of an amateur futbol match where a guy outplayed, some spectator kids laught at him and he goes to them very angry threatening to hit them in a way that tries to be menacing but it's hilarious. He got baptized online as "el picao del caño" and no one wants to be like him.

Chicken dance.

[–] Hello_there@fedia.io 1 points 2 days ago

Smack your butt and say culo

[–] GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

~~" Vete a la verga, hijo de puta"~~

~~Literally "go to de dick, son of a bitch", in essence it's a way to tell someone to piss off.~~

~~It loses sll of it's impact translated, but it's very vulgar phrasing.~~

Oops, realized you are looking for a term. Not a phrase.

[–] Catfish@aussie.zone 1 points 2 days ago

That's ok, might be useful

load more comments
view more: next ›