王八 (wángba): tortoise

Measure Word

一只王八 zhī

他是个王八蛋！

Tā shì ge wángbadàn!

He's a bastard!

池塘里有一只王八。

Chítáng lǐ yǒu yī zhī wángba.

There's a tortoise in the pond.

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王八 literally means "tortoise" but is almost always used as an insult. 王八蛋 (wángbadàn, "turtle egg") is one of the most common Chinese profanities.

culture

In traditional Chinese culture, calling someone a 王八 implies their partner is unfaithful — the tortoise was historically a symbol of cuckoldry.

王 wáng

八 bā