Cross-language · 95 phrases · 11 languages
How to say "damn"
The all-purpose curse of mild frustration — stub your toe, miss the bus, drop the last slice.
French
all French → Putain ! poo-TAN Damn! / F***! / The all-purpose intensifier — punctuation, really Merde ! MEHRD Shit! / Damn! — and, bizarrely, 'good luck' Putain de merde ! poo-TAN duh MEHRD For f***'s sake! / Goddammit! Zut ! ZOOT Darn! / Shoot! Crotte ! KROT Poop! / Darn! — the polite-company dodge for 'merde' Putain de bordel de merde ! poo-TAN duh bor-DEL duh MEHRD For f***'s holy sake! — the full three-word combo Purée ! poo-RAY Sheesh! / Dang! — the clean stand-in for 'putain' Mince ! MANSS Shoot! / Darn! Nom de Dieu ! nohn duh DYUH Goddammit! / For God's sake! Ça me fait chier ! sa muh fay SHYAY This pisses me off / What a pain in the ass Tabarnak ! ta-bar-NAK F***! / Goddammit! — the king of Québécois sacres Câlisse ! kah-LISS F***! / Christ! (Québécois sacre) Ostie ! os-TEE Damn! / F***! — and an all-purpose intensifier Crisse ! KRISS Christ! / F***! (Québécois sacre) Sacrament ! sa-kra-MAHN Goddammit! (heavy Québécois sacre) Ostie de câlisse de tabarnak ! os-TEE duh kah-LISS duh ta-bar-NAK The full chained Québec curse — maximum blasphemy Maudit ! moh-DEE Damn / damned (mild Québécois intensifier)
German
all German → Scheiße! SHY-suh Shit! / Damn! — the all-purpose German expletive Mist! MIST Crap! / Rats! — the family-friendly 'damn' Verdammt! fair-DAMT Damn! / Damn it! Verdammt nochmal! fair-DAMT NOCH-mahl God damn it! / For crying out loud! Ach du Scheiße! AKH doo SHY-suh Oh shit! / Oh crap! Verdammte Scheiße! fair-DAM-tuh SHY-suh God-damn shit! / Bloody hell! Herrgott nochmal! HAIR-got NOCH-mahl For God's sake! / Good Lord! So ein Mist! ZOH ine MIST What a load of crap! / Damn it all! Scheiß drauf! SHYSE DROWF Screw it! / To hell with it! Himmel, Arsch und Zwirn! HIM-mel ARSH oont TSVEERN For crying out loud! / Bloody hell and damnation! Scheißwetter SHYSE-vet-ter Miserable, filthy weather
Greek
all Greek → γαμώτο gamóto ghah-MOH-toh Damn it! / Dammit! σκατά skatá skah-TAH Shit! / Crap! — and 'garbage / terrible' for anything low quality. γαμώ το / τη / τον… gamó to / ti / ton… ghah-MOH toh The productive Greek curse engine — 'fuck the [anything]' — how most heavy curses are built. τι στο διάολο ti sto diáolo tee stoh THYAH-oh-loh What the hell / what the devil. γαμώ την τρέλα μου gamó tin tréla mou ghah-MOH teen TREH-lah moo For fuck's sake / goddammit — self-directed exasperation. γαμώ το Θεό σου gamó to Theó sou ghah-MOH toh theh-OH soo Goddammit / God damn you — heavy blasphemous cursing aimed at a person. ανάθεμα anáthema ah-NAH-theh-mah Damn / curse it — a formal-flavored malediction.
Italian
all Italian → Cazzo! KAHT-tso Fuck! / Damn! / The all-purpose Italian curse. Merda! MEHR-dah Shit! / Damn it! Porca miseria! POR-kah mee-ZEH-ryah Dammit! / For heaven's sake! Minchia! MEEN-kyah Holy shit! / Wow! / Damn! Che cazzo?! kay KAHT-tso What the fuck?! Cavolo! KAH-vo-lo Darn! / Shoot! / The clean stand-in for cazzo. Mannaggia! mahn-NAH-jah Damn it! / Curse it! Porca puttana! POR-kah poot-TAH-nah Holy shit! / Goddammit! Accidenti! aht-chee-DEN-tee Darn! / Wow! / Good grief! Porca troia! POR-kah TROY-ah Fucking hell! / Goddammit! Non me ne frega un cazzo! non may nay FRAY-gah oon KAHT-tso I don't give a fuck. Sono incazzato nero! SO-no een-kaht-TSAH-to NEH-ro I'm absolutely furious. Porca paletta! POR-kah pah-LET-tah Darn it! / Dang!
Japanese
all Japanese →Korean
all Korean →Polish
all Polish → kurwa KOOR-vah Fuck / damn / shit — the load-bearing word of Polish, and its most common comma. cholera kho-LEH-rah Damn / darn it — the respectable person's curse. kurde KOOR-deh Darn / crap — kurwa with the fuse removed. kurwa mać KOOR-vah MAHCH Fucking hell / goddammit — the emphatic, two-barrel kurwa. szlag SHLAHK Damn it — 'szlag by to trafił' = may a stroke strike it. motyla noga! moh-TIH-lah NOH-gah Well butter my biscuit! — a joke curse of surreal, retro charm. pieron PYEH-ron Damn / blast it — the signature Silesian curse.
Portuguese
all Portuguese → Porra! POH-hah Damn! / Fuck! — but mostly used as pure punctuation Caralho! kah-RAH-lyoo Fuck! / Hell! — exclamation and all-purpose intensifier Merda! MEHR-dah Shit! / Crap! Droga! DROH-gah Darn! / Damn it! Cacete! kah-SEH-chee Damn! / Bloody hell! — also 'a ton' as 'pra cacete' Puta que pariu! POO-tah keh pah-REE-oo Holy fuck! / Motherfucker! / For fuck's sake! Putz! POOTS Darn! / Ugh! / Oh no! Puta merda! POO-tah MEHR-dah Holy shit! / Goddammit!
Russian
all Russian → Блин! blin BLEEN Damn! / Darn! / Shoot! Чёрт! chyort CHORT Damn! / Hell! Чёрт возьми! chyort voz'mi CHORT vahz-MEE Damn it! / For God's sake! Сука! suka SOO-kah Bitch / son of a bitch / damn Твою мать! tvoyu mat' tvah-YOO MAHT Damn it! / Son of a bitch! / For crying out loud! Ёпрст! yoprst YOP-rst Argh! / Gah! / Dammit Блядь! blyad' BLYAHT Fuck! / Dammit! / (filler) fucking...
Spanish
all Spanish → ¡Chin! CHEEN Darn! / Shoot! ¡Carajo! kah-RAH-hoh Damn it! / hell ¡Mierda! MYEHR-dah Shit! / crap ¡Puta madre! POO-tah MAH-dreh Goddammit! / fucking hell! ¡Me lleva la chingada! meh YEH-bah lah cheen-GAH-dah I'm so screwed! / For fuck's sake! ¡Joder! hoh-DEHR Fuck! / damn it! (the Spain default) ¡Hostia! OSS-tyah Whoa! / damn! / holy—! ¡A la verga! ah lah BEHR-gah Holy shit! / to hell with it! / get lost ¡Chingada madre! cheen-GAH-dah MAH-dreh Goddammit! / motherf—!
Turkish
all Turkish → Of ya! OFF YAH Ugh! / For crying out loud! Allah Allah! ah-LAH ah-LAH What on earth?! / How strange! / What the—?! Hassiktir! hah-sik-TEER Holy shit! / Oh fuck! Tüh! TEW Darn! / Shoot! / Dang it! Kahretsin! kah-ret-SEEN Damn it! / Dammit! Hay Allah! HY ah-LAH Oops / oh dear / for heaven's sake Amına koyayım! ah-muh-NAH koy-AH-yuhm Fucking hell / goddammit / fuck this Allah belanı versin! ah-LAH beh-lah-NUH ver-SEEN Damn you / God curse you Gözün kör olsun! gur-ZEWN KUR ol-SOON Damn your eyes / serves you right