Greek · Insults & Idiots
πουτάνα
poutána
poo-TAH-nah · /puˈta.na/
Whore — a heavy gendered insult; also 'πουτάνας γιος,' son of a bitch.
aimed at a person, will start something
Literally
"whore"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A serious, gendered insult — aimed at a woman it's fighting words and genuinely degrading, so it earns a 4 and a big warning. It survives mostly in fixed male-on-male abuse: "πουτάνας γιος" (son of a whore) is a standard heavy insult between men, and "τα κάναμε πουτάνα" means "we made a total mess of it." "Στην πουτάνα" ≈ "to hell with it." Comprehension matters here more than production: know it, rarely if ever say it, and never at a woman.
Heard in the wild
Μας τα έκανε πουτάνα όλα ο απατεώνας.
The con artist made a complete mess of everything.
Where it lands
Greece & Cyprus (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "πουτάνα" mean?
- In Greek, "πουτάνα" means "Whore — a heavy gendered insult; also 'πουτάνας γιος,' son of a bitch.". Literally it's "whore". A serious, gendered insult — aimed at a woman it's fighting words and genuinely degrading, so it earns a 4 and a big warning. It survives mostly in fixed male-on-male abuse: "πουτάνας γιος" (son of a whore) is a standard heavy insult between men, and "τα κάναμε πουτάνα" means "we made a total mess of it." "Στην πουτάνα" ≈ "to hell with it." Comprehension matters here more than production: know it, rarely if ever say it, and never at a woman.
- Is "πουτάνα" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "πουτάνα"?
- Say it "poo-TAH-nah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: puˈta.na.
Related in Greek
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