王八 (wáng bā) — softshell turtle; (slang) cuckold; bastard (use…

Definition

Literally 'softshell turtle,' but most commonly used today as a strong insult meaning 'bastard' (the turtle sense is rare in everyday speech).

noun

softshell turtle(slang) cuckoldbastard (used as an insult)

Measure word · 只

王八。
Hé lǐ yǒu hěn duō wáng bā.
There are many softshell turtles in the river.
王八！
Nǐ zhēn shì gè wáng bā!
You're such a bastard!
王八，。
Bú yào jiào bié rén wáng bā, nà hěn nán tīng.
Don't call people turtle/bastard, it's very offensive.

Single-morpheme word

构词法gòucífǎ

联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

The characters 王 and 八 carry no meaning of their own here; together they name the turtle or insult.

Sound-only characters

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 王 comes from a picture of a ritual axe, an object kept near a throne and connected with royal power.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

八 shows two bent lines, indicating the original meaning 'to divide'; it was later used for 'eight' because the words sounded alike.

Appears in