Greek · Insults & Idiots
χαζός
chazós
khah-ZOHSS · /xaˈzos/
Silly / dumb / airhead — the gentlest 'you idiot.'
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"silly / dopey"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The soft, almost fond version of calling someone dumb — closer to "silly" than "stupid." You call a child, a pet, or a sweetheart χαζός/χαζή with a smile. "Χαζό" for a thing means "silly / pointless." Fully Grandma-safe; it's the one on this list you can use in front of anyone. "Χαζομάρα" is a silly little thing or a harmless bit of nonsense.
Heard in the wild
Χαζή, γιατί κλαις; Όλα καλά θα πάνε.
Silly, why are you crying? Everything will be fine.
Where it lands
Greece & Cyprus (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "χαζός" mean?
- In Greek, "χαζός" means "Silly / dumb / airhead — the gentlest 'you idiot.'". Literally it's "silly / dopey". The soft, almost fond version of calling someone dumb — closer to "silly" than "stupid." You call a child, a pet, or a sweetheart χαζός/χαζή with a smile. "Χαζό" for a thing means "silly / pointless." Fully Grandma-safe; it's the one on this list you can use in front of anyone. "Χαζομάρα" is a silly little thing or a harmless bit of nonsense.
- Is "χαζός" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "χαζός"?
- Say it "khah-ZOHSS" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: xaˈzos.
Related in Greek
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "You idiot".
- French Con Idiot / dumbass — the single most useful insult in French
- German Arsch Arse / ass — and the second great compound-engine of German
- Italian Stronzo! Asshole! / Bastard!
- Japanese ばか Idiot / dummy / stupid
- Korean 바보 Dummy / silly — the soft, safe, often affectionate 'idiot.'
- Polish debil Moron / idiot — the standard hard 'you idiot.'
- Portuguese Otário Sucker / gullible fool / mug
- Russian Дурак! Idiot / fool
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