Have you ever been curious about how people express frustration, anger, or surprise in other languages?
Swear words, while often taboo, give fascinating insight into a culture’s humor, emotions, and social boundaries.
Understanding them can be surprisingly useful — whether you’re learning a new language, traveling, or just exploring the quirks of global communication.
This guide shares 70 common swear words from around the world, with simple pronunciation tips and example sentences.
Read on, and you’ll feel like this guide was written just for you, giving you insider knowledge on how people curse — safely, smartly, and with cultural awareness.
🌍 How to Say Swear Words in 70 Different Languages
⚠️ Note: All examples are mild or widely used swears for educational purposes.
- English (🇺🇸) – Damn | Pronunciation: damn
Example: Damn, I forgot my keys! - Spanish (🇪🇸) – Mierda | Pronunciation: mee-air-da
Example: ¡Mierda! Se me rompió el vaso. (Damn! I broke the glass.) - French (🇫🇷) – Merde | Pronunciation: mehrd
Example: Merde! J’ai raté le train. (Damn! I missed the train.) - German (🇩🇪) – Scheiße | Pronunciation: shy-suh
Example: Scheiße! Ich habe mein Handy vergessen. (Damn! I forgot my phone.) - Italian (🇮🇹) – Cazzo | Pronunciation: ka-tso
Example: Cazzo! Ho perso le chiavi. (Damn! I lost the keys.) - Portuguese (🇵🇹) – Merda | Pronunciation: mehr-da
Example: Merda! Esqueci a carteira. (Damn! I forgot my wallet.) - Russian (🇷🇺) – Чёрт (Chyort) | Pronunciation: chyort
Example: Чёрт! Я опоздал. (Damn! I’m late.) - Arabic (🇸🇦) – تباً (Tabban) | Pronunciation: tab-ban
Example: تباً! نسيت مفاتيحي. (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Hindi (🇮🇳) – धत्त तेरी (Dhatt Teri) | Pronunciation: dhat tay-ree
Example: धत्त तेरी! मैं देर हो गया। (Damn! I’m late.) - Bengali (🇧🇩) – রে বাবা (Re Baba) | Pronunciation: ray baa-baa
Example: রে বাবা! আমি মিস করেছি। (Damn! I missed it.) - Urdu (🇵🇰) – چلو جان (Chalo Jaan) | Pronunciation: cha-lo jaan
Example: چلو جان! میری کتاب گم ہو گئی۔ (Damn! I lost my book.) - Turkish (🇹🇷) – Kahretsin | Pronunciation: kah-resh-tin
Example: Kahretsin! Anahtarı unuttum. (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Greek (🇬🇷) – Γαμώτο (Gamóto) | Pronunciation: ga-moh-to
Example: Γαμώτο! Έχασα το λεωφορείο. (Damn! I missed the bus.) - Dutch (🇳🇱) – Verdomme | Pronunciation: ver-dum-me
Example: Verdomme! Ik ben te laat. (Damn! I’m late.) - Swedish (🇸🇪) – Fan | Pronunciation: fan
Example: Fan! Jag glömde min bok. (Damn! I forgot my book.) - Finnish (🇫🇮) – Voi hitto | Pronunciation: voi hit-to
Example: Voi hitto! Unohdin lompakkoni. (Damn! I forgot my wallet.) - Polish (🇵🇱) – Kurwa | Pronunciation: koor-va
Example: Kurwa! Zgubiłem klucze. (Damn! I lost the keys.) - Czech (🇨🇿) – Sakra | Pronunciation: sak-ra
Example: Sakra! Zmeškal jsem vlak. (Damn! I missed the train.) - Hungarian (🇭🇺) – A francba | Pronunciation: a frank-ba
Example: A francba! Elfelejtettem a kulcsom. (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Romanian (🇷🇴) – La naiba | Pronunciation: la na-ee-ba
Example: La naiba! Am pierdut biletul. (Damn! I lost the ticket.) - Chinese (Mandarin) (🇨🇳) – 该死 (Gāisǐ) | Pronunciation: gai-suh
Example: 该死!我忘了钥匙。 (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Japanese (🇯🇵) – くそ (Kuso) | Pronunciation: koo-so
Example: くそ!鍵を忘れた。 (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Korean (🇰🇷) – 젠장 (Jenjhang) | Pronunciation: jen-jahng
Example: 젠장! 열쇠를 잊어버렸어. (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Thai (🇹🇭) – ชิบหาย (Chibhai) | Pronunciation: chib-hai
Example: ชิบหาย! ฉันลืมกุญแจ! (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Chết tiệt | Pronunciation: chet-tiet
Example: Chết tiệt! Tôi quên ví. (Damn! I forgot my wallet.) - Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Sial | Pronunciation: see-al
Example: Sial! Saya lupa kunci. (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Malay (🇲🇾) – Celaka | Pronunciation: cheh-lah-kah
Example: Celaka! Saya terlupa dompet. (Damn! I forgot my wallet.) - Filipino (🇵🇭) – Pucha | Pronunciation: poo-chah
Example: Pucha! Nakalimutan ko ang susi. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Swahili (🇰🇪) – Punda | Pronunciation: poon-dah
Example: Punda! Nimesahau kitufe. (Damn! I forgot the button.) - Zulu (🇿🇦) – Shit! | Pronunciation: shit
Example: Shit! Ngikhohlwe okhiye. (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Hebrew (🇮🇱) – לעזאזל (Le’azazel) | Pronunciation: leh-uh-za-zel
Example: לעזאזל! שכחתי את המפתחות. (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Persian (🇮🇷) – لعنتی (Lanati) | Pronunciation: lah-nah-tee
Example: لعنتی! من کلیدم را فراموش کردم. (Damn! I forgot my keys.) - Nepali (🇳🇵) – शापित (Shapit) | Pronunciation: sha-pit
Example: शापित! मैले चाबी बिर्सें। (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Sinhala (🇱🇰) – ද්රෝහී (Drohi) | Pronunciation: dro-hee
Example: ද්රෝහී! මම යතුර අමතක කළා. (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Tamil (🇮🇳) – சாபம் (Saapam) | Pronunciation: saa-pam
Example: சாபம்! நான் சாவியை மறந்துவிட்டேன். (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Telugu (🇮🇳) – శాపం (Shaapam) | Pronunciation: shaa-pam
Example: శాపం! నేను తాళం మర్చిపోయాను. (Damn! I forgot the lock.) - Kannada (🇮🇳) – ಶಾಪ (Shaapa) | Pronunciation: shaap-a
Example: ಶಾಪ! ನಾನು ಕೀಲು ಮರೆತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Malayalam (🇮🇳) – ശാപം (Shaapam) | Pronunciation: shaap-am
Example: ശാപം! ഞാൻ കീ മറന്നു. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Burmese (🇲🇲) – မကောင်းပါ (Ma Kaung Ba) | Pronunciation: ma kaung ba
Example: မကောင်းပါ! ကျွန်တော် သော့မမေ့လိုက်ဘူး။ (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Khmer (🇰🇭) – ឆ្លងចិត្ត (Chhlong Chet) | Pronunciation: chhlong chet
Example: ឆ្លងចិត្ត! ខ្ញុំភ្លេចសោ។ (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Lao (🇱🇦) – ເສຍໃຈ (Sia Jai) | Pronunciation: see-ah jai
Example: ເສຍໃຈ! ຂ້ອຍລືມກະແຈ. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Муу байна (Muu baina) | Pronunciation: moo bai-na
Example: Муу байна! Би түлхүүрээ мартчихлаа. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Жаман (Zhaman) | Pronunciation: zha-man
Example: Жаман! Мен кілтімді ұмыттым. (Damn! I forgot my key.) - Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Voy | Pronunciation: voy
Example: Voy! Men kalitni unutdim. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Tajik (🇹🇯) – Ланат (Lanat) | Pronunciation: la-nat
Example: Ланат! Ман калидро фаромӯш кардам. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Georgian (🇬🇪) – წყეული (Tskheuli) | Pronunciation: tskhe-u-li
Example: წყეული! გასაღები დამავიწყდა. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Armenian (🇦🇲) – Ավելորդ (Avelord) | Pronunciation: ah-vel-ord
Example: Ավելորդ! Ես մոռացել եմ բանալին: (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Чорт (Chort) | Pronunciation: chort
Example: Чорт! Я забув ключі. (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Serbian (🇷🇸) – Јеби га (Jebi ga) | Pronunciation: ye-bi ga
Example: Јеби га! Заборавио сам кључ. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Croatian (🇭🇷) – Jebi ga | Pronunciation: ye-bi ga
Example: Jebi ga! Zaboravio sam ključ. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Jebi ga | Pronunciation: ye-bi ga
Example: Jebi ga! Zaboravio sam ključeve. (Damn! I forgot the keys.) - Albanian (🇦🇱) – Djema | Pronunciation: dje-ma
Example: Djema! Kam harruar çelësin. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Helvítis | Pronunciation: hel-veet-iss
Example: Helvítis! Ég gleymdi lykli. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Irish (🇮🇪) – A Dhia | Pronunciation: ah yee-ah
Example: A Dhia! Rinne mé dearmad ar an eochair. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Welsh (🏴) – Cachu | Pronunciation: ka-khoo
Example: Cachu! Es nes i’r allwedd. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Hawaiian (🇺🇸) – Pōpilikia | Pronunciation: po-pee-lee-kee-ah
Example: Pōpilikia! Uaʻu poʻina i ka kī. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Samoan (🇼🇸) – Aue | Pronunciation: ah-oo-eh
Example: Aue! Ua galo ia te aʻu le ki. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Maori (🇳🇿) – Kaore | Pronunciation: ka-oh-reh
Example: Kaore! Kua wareware ahau i te kī. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Tongan (🇹🇴) – ʻIo | Pronunciation: ee-oh
Example: ʻIo! Naʻau ʻikai ke lea ki he ki. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Yoruba (🇳🇬) – Oró | Pronunciation: oh-roh
Example: Oró! Mo gbagbe bọtini. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Hausa (🇳🇬) – Laa | Pronunciation: lah
Example: Laa! Na manta maɓallin. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Amharic (🇪🇹) – ጠላ (T’ela) | Pronunciation: teh-lah
Example: ጠላ! ቁልፉን ረሳሁ። (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Somali (🇸🇴) – Nacala | Pronunciation: na-ca-la
Example: Nacala! Waxaan illowday fure. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Afrikaans (🇿🇦) – Verdom | Pronunciation: ver-dom
Example: Verdom! Ek het my sleutel vergeet. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Basque (🇪🇸) – Zorra | Pronunciation: zor-ra
Example: Zorra! Gakoa ahaztu dut. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Catalan (🇪🇸) – Merda | Pronunciation: mehr-da
Example: Merda! He oblidat la clau. (Damn! I forgot the key.) - Esperanto (🌐) – Fek | Pronunciation: fek
Example: Fek! Mi forgesis la ŝlosilon. (Damn! I forgot the key.)
🔥 Conclusion
Swear words are more than just offensive language; they reveal humor, emotion, and culture. Learning them responsibly can help you understand native speakers better. Whether mild or strong, each language has a unique flavor that reflects local attitudes. Always use these words carefully — but appreciating them is part of understanding a language fully.
No matter where you travel, knowing these expressions can make conversations more colorful and culturally aware. Language connects us, even through a single swear word!