<p>Anecdotally, I have also noticed that there is a big disconnect between some terms in Taiwan vs. Mainland. This extends even further throughout the Chinese diaspora.</p>
<p>I can recall one instance of a formal paper written by Mainlanders using the term:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%8D%E8%91%97%E5%B9%B9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">对着干</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>to deliberately do the opposite thing to oppose someone</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To which a group of Taiwanese people vehemently objected almost as if the writers had entirely lost their wits about them. Of course, the original group did not find any problem with a word like 对着干. I am not sure where the proclivity to be upset with innocuous words stems from.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T20:05:31.903Z
Speaking language is a living thing, it varies from local to local in big countries like China.  对着干 is a common expression among Taiwanese whose parents came from the mainland, but it is not a vocabulary for Taiwanese whose ancestors came to Taiwan a few hundred years ago. But, differences in vocabularies do exist between Taiwan and mainland China.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-16T04:37:19.600Z
There's another phrase/term that also sounds insulting to Taiwanese but not to Chinese, and is similar to 对着干: "互搞".
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T15:59:36.733Z
2024-09-13T15:59:36.733Z
Mou某
<p>No matter in Taiwan or China, it's NOT every single character has ONLY ONE meaning.<br />
Lots of time, it depends on the WORD.</p>
<p>For example, the single character <code>幹</code> means FUxK(someone)<br />
But the word <code>樹幹</code> doesn't ask you to FUxK a tree! Actually it's base of branches<br />
In fact, most of the time, the <code>幹</code> is synonymous with <code>做</code>(do).</p>
<p>Although China and Taiwan have been separated for nearly a century, but with more communication in recent years, there are still many words used in the same way.</p>
<p>For your example, &quot;幹，我忘了帶錢包&quot;
This 幹 doesn't mean wanna FUxK someone, it's just a impolite pronounce words(發語詞)<br />
... sorry, I don't know how to translate 發語詞 exactally.</p>
<p>The most different part should be the Hokkien part<br />
Most of Taiwaness can say/understand Taiwanese/Hokkien , but only Fujian prople understand Hokkien .<br />
Althought Taiwanese is come from Hokkien , but Taiwanese is mixed with Japanese now, so there are a little different currently.<br />
Taiwanese said <code>便當</code> that come from <code>お弁当</code> of Japanese, China said <code>盒飯</code>.<br />
You might google &quot;大陸台灣用語對照&quot;</p>
<hr />
<p>For fun :<br />
For the words, 才幹過人,<br />
You can translate it into <code>才幹</code>(competence)+&quot;過人&quot;(Extraordinary)<br />
or into <code>才</code>(just)+&quot;幹過人&quot;(FUxK somebody)<br />
... it's depending on your breakpoints<br />
Enjoy... :p</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T07:29:10.793Z
Quite a great answer, I like how you explain things. However, I know "幹" have many different meanings, including non-offensive ones. I think I listed the "Exceptions" explicitly in my question, so I know "樹幹" is "tree trunk" (I probably won't translate that as "base of branches", although it's still correct). My question is basically, *is it really true that "幹" is (basically) offensive in Taiwan while being a normal verb in China, and if so, **why**?* Also please note that "幹" in Taiwan doesn't actually always mean "f***", when used as the start of a sentence it ...
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T07:31:27.493Z
would probably translate better into English as "s ** t" or "crap" or "d ** n". It's still offensive that way, though. I think it's rather rare to use "幹" to mean to "f*** someone". Still, please take my upvote as a symbol of my appreciation for the great answer! Thanks! 
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T07:43:35.797Z
So, `"幹" is (basically) offensive` is NOT true in Taiwan.  It's impolite `發語詞` both in Taiwan and China. Might be aggrasived towards stranger, but not toward close friends.
James
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T07:50:10.390Z
@Admirerofthedragonflag You might try to Google `陳之漢` on Youtube. You'll find out he was ALWAYS say that word, even treat `FUxK Your Mom` as 發語詞.  It's impolite, please DO NOT study from him. Especially when facing to strangers.
James
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T07:54:05.020Z
Basically 發語詞 are usually impolite/offensive, though not directed towards some specific person. And I've never heard a person from China use "幹" as 發語詞.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T08:00:23.760Z
Actually, I always say that character to close friend when I prepare to say something. It usually be the first character of all sentence ... only blabber to close friends. But NEVER said that word to strangers.
James
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T08:08:53.987Z
Most of 發語詞 are impolite/offensive, but not all. You might Google `蔡英文` on YouTube. You'll found that she use '呃(err)'as 發語詞 in lots of speech. It's not offensive. Most Taiwanese will say `抱歉` or 對不起(Sorry) as 發語詞, especially facing to strangers.
James
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T08:22:16.710Z
I checked out 陳之漢's youtube videos, I think he uses the absolute profane "他媽的" as 發語詞.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T08:23:52.980Z
Yeah, of course I know to never say "幹" to a stranger. It's also true that not all 發語詞 are profane.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T06:33:13.753Z
2024-09-13T06:33:13.753Z
James
<blockquote>
<p>Am I mistaken that &quot;幹&quot; is insulting in Taiwan?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, you did.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>你幹不幹? - Will you do it or not?</p>
</li>
<li><p>幹. - Yes, I'll do.</p>
</li>
<li><p>幹什麼? - What?</p>
</li>
<li><p>什麼都不幹. Nothing (at all).</p>
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>... is there a fundamental difference between the slang/profanity word usage in Taiwan and China?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Certainly. Chinese will never run out of words/vocabulary for curses, but variations exist from local to local.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>幹你媽的 - Fuck your mother. (Taiwan). &quot;幹&quot; replaces &quot;肏&quot;, the forbidden word in Taiwan.</p>
</li>
<li><p>日/操你娘的 - Fuck your mother. (China, specific location unknown)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Now, should we say the words &quot;日&quot; and &quot;操&quot; are insulting in China? The answer is &quot;definitely not&quot;, even they can be used in a manner that means insulting.</p>
<p>Note, in Taiwan, &quot;幹&quot; is often used as &quot;<strong>语气字</strong>&quot; by the rebellious younger crowds as a fashionable expression, and spoken by the low-lifers to distinguish themselves from mainstream/normal people. The expression is equivalent to &quot;dammit/fuck&quot; in the English-speaking world.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T05:13:43.627Z
I do not think (and actually never heard or read) any Taiwanese people would/will say "你幹不幹?", "幹.", "幹什麼?", or "什麼都不幹.", *unless* of course, that person intend to insult someone or is angry and lashing out at some person (for example, parents reprimanding their children). Of course, there are also street mobs and other people (you know what I mean) will say those above phrases. Under normal circumstances, Taiwanese people will never say those, but Chinese people will. The Taiwanese interpretations of those are (approx.): ...
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T05:19:50.717Z
... "Will you f*** ing do it?", "Yeah, I'll do it" (in response to the last one), "What the f*** are you doing?", "Doesn't do a damn thing". I don't think any of these are polite. In China, though, most of these are normal or casual conversation phrases. Also, there's *really* no need and no point in stating one of the *worst* profanity in Chinese (you know what I'm referring to, they are bad enough I don't dare copy them here.) I think the profanity examples you listed are applicable in both Taiwan and China, thus there's no difference.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T17:42:02.207Z
Sorry, but what's the point in asking this? But if you ask, I'm actually not Taiwanese or Chinese, I'm just an American who's interested in the Chinese language. As you can see, I'm actually interested in *a lot* of things (see my SE profile, I've only started being an active member on SE for two months, but I already have 5 sites that I'm pretty active), and Chinese is one of them. My ancestors are Asian, although I'm not so sure which country.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T17:47:26.043Z
I started learning Chinese at the age of 10, and since then had accumulated enough knowledge about the language that I'm now able to read ancient text such as 《 黃帝內經 》and 《 水滸傳 》. As my knowledge grew, I gradually started to spend less and less time on Chinese, and currently spends most of my time learning to program (just started ~21 months ago). After I joined SO, I began to explore more and more sites on the SE network, and I found this site.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T17:47:55.653Z
I like this site because I can spend a little time learning and helping others learn the Chinese language better. So now, this site is my go-to if I want to relax a little and immerse myself in the beauty of the Chinese language.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T17:48:19.533Z
Wait, did you just delete your comment?
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T17:54:35.913Z
The fundamental difference is that in mainland China, "幹" has not been, or is rarely, used for insulting/profanity, however, in Taiwan, such use does exist, and is quite prevalent in certain groups addressed.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T18:01:58.470Z
I deleted my comment because I felt it was pointless after posting it.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T18:55:37.793Z
Let me summarize my point - In Taiwan, "幹" can be a neutral word that means "do" as in "幹什麼?"; and it can be an insulting word, that was devised in place of the forbidden word "fuck", as in "幹你媽的". It can also be a "口氣語" to express "懊惱", such as "幹, 又弄錯了!", which would be translated as "Dame, wrong again!/Dame, made a mistake again!".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-15T01:38:01.617Z
As far as I know, 幹, as a vulgar profanity, such as 幹你老媽, (pronounced in Hokkien of course), is used quite often, (I dare say exclusively), by the Hokkien immigrant community in South East Asian countries. So, I suppose that accounts for its relative rarity in the Main Land which of course has its own iconic collection of metaphoric profanities.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-16T00:06:35.370Z
I always said "幹(loudly)~~(1 sec)~~什麼(quietly)" to my close friends. :D  As I said, NOT very single character has ONLY ONE meaning, you have to understand it's meaning based on the whole WORD.
James
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-16T02:15:59.273Z
"幹(loudly)~~(1 sec)~~什麼(quietly)" You cheeky little ............. :) (Options: words starting with (a) "s", (b) "m", (c) "b" (d) "c" (Note: @Becky is exempted)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T21:12:39.870Z
2024-09-13T21:48:08.680Z
2024-09-13T21:48:08.680Z
r13
<p>First up,</p>
<p><em>WARNING: This question is mainly focused on slang/profanity, so inevitably I will need to include some derogatory sentence examples. I will try to make it less offensive, but for Taiwanese readers please take caution.</em></p>
<p>Now, here's a question that I wondered a lot about:</p>
<p>There seems to be a fundamental difference between Taiwanese and Chinese slang and profanity. As I originally started learning Chinese the Taiwanese way, I was astonished when I first heard some of the phrases Chinese people use as verbs. The one I'm most shocked about is the word &quot;幹&quot;. In China and simplified Chinese text, I often see/hear sentences like &quot;幹的好&quot; or even &quot;你所干的那件事可是一举两得。&quot; and &quot;他干的坏事被揭发出来了。&quot; (source: <a href="https://zaojv.com/5657271.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">造句网: 干的造句</a>). It seems like a common, even normal way of saying &quot;do&quot;. In Taiwan, &quot;幹&quot; is basically profane, used as an exclamation or cursing word (i.e., &quot;幹，我忘了帶錢包&quot;).</p>
<p>Note, however, that I do know that <em>there are in fact exceptions to this</em>:</p>
<ol>
<li>&quot;你在幹什么&quot; or &quot;你在幹嘛&quot;, meaning &quot;what are you doing?!&quot;. Although this is not vulgar, it is still not exactly very polite, and used either between good friends, or in very casual conversations. It may also be used by parents towards their children, i.e., a boy broke a flower pot and made some huge noise, the mother will come to investigate and ask &quot;你在幹嘛?&quot;.</li>
<li>&quot;幹掉&quot;, meaning &quot;to kill off&quot;. Now, this is actually quite impolite, but doesn't qualify as profanity (but near). It's most commonly heard in war/battle TV shows, and when people are playing fighting/shooter video games.</li>
<li>&quot;樹幹&quot;, meaning &quot;tree trunk&quot;. Not profane or impolite at all, it's actually (at least I presume) the original intended meaning of &quot;幹&quot;. There's also the non-derogatory phrases &quot;幹部&quot; (Cadres), and &quot;主幹&quot; (main torso/trunk/strong vertical object similar to a tree trunk).</li>
<li>Finally, some people try to be masculine by saying the phrase &quot;幹的好啊!&quot;, but this is not formal and relatively rare.</li>
</ol>
<p>There's not much other occasions where you can use &quot;幹&quot; without being impolite or insulting anyone. In Chinese verbal language/Simplified Chinese text, however, there a <em>lot of places</em> (basically everywhere) where you can use &quot;幹&quot;. My question is, is there a fundamental difference between the slang/profanity word usage in Taiwan and China? Am I mistaken that &quot;幹&quot; is insulting in Taiwan? And also, if there's <em>really</em> a difference, where/when/how did the difference start? I would like to know that. I'll appreciate any help. Thanks in advance!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T12:18:36.320Z
As a native English speaker, just a comment - the word "profane" doesn't seem to be quite right here. Perhaps you were thinking of a similar, more appropriate word: profanity. Other synonyms you could use are:  vulgar, inappropriate, obscene, debased, uncouth, offensive, ignoble, mean, lewd, wicked. // https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/profane // https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/profanity
goPlayerJuggler
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T12:50:54.603Z
我的理解，您是指“大陆人的汉语”和“台湾人的汉语”。我认为，他们没有根本的区别，无论是正式语言，书面语言，口语，俗语，都没有根本区别。我是指大陆的普通话和台湾的国语。至于方言，各个地域都有不同，不仅仅限于台湾和大陆其他省份。
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-13T17:55:36.880Z
@goPlayerJuggler I fixed the mistake. I'm also a native English speaker, but I sometimes just get sloppy on word usage. Sorry about that. Also, thanks for pointing out! I hope my improved version is more correct. (Note: I kept some of them "profane", in places where it should be an adjective rather than a noun.)
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-14T17:30:40.967Z
Any comment from downvoter? Please state where I can improve.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-15T01:04:07.557Z
" In Taiwan, "幹" is basically profane, used as an exclamation or cursing word (i.e., "幹，我忘了帶錢包"). " No. 幹 is considered a profanity only when it is used to mean intercourse. The other four examples you gave are all valid usages in Taiwan.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-15T01:07:07.720Z
@joehua Yeah, did you not see the "There are in fact exceptions to this:" line? I'll edit my post to make it bold and a header for everyone to see. Maybe the current way in which my post is written makes that line too hidden, causing confusions. I apologize for any formatting problems that caused misunderstandings/confusions.
Admirer of the dragon flag
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-16T01:28:44.007Z
@Admirer of the dragon flag What you considered exceptions are what I considered normalcy. I don't really hear daily usages like in "幹，我忘了帶錢包". OK. I think that also depends on what kind of people you're with.
joehua
<simplified-characters><slang><traditional-vs-simplified><taiwan><mainland-china>
Is there a fundamental difference between Chinese and Taiwanese slang/profane?
# Is there a fundamental difference between Chinese and Taiwanese slang/profane?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-09-13)

First up,

*WARNING: This question is mainly focused on slang/profanity, so inevitably I will need to include some derogatory sentence examples. I will try to make it less offensive, but for Taiwanese readers please take caution.*

Now, here's a question that I wondered a lot about:

There seems to be a fundamental difference between Taiwanese and Chinese slang and profanity. As I originally started learning Chinese the Taiwanese way, I was astonished when I first heard some of the phrases Chinese people use as verbs. The one I'm most shocked about is the word "幹". In China and simplified Chinese text, I often see/hear sentences like "幹的好" or even "你所干的那件事可是一举两得。" and "他干的坏事被揭发出来了。" (source: [造句网: 干的造句](https://zaojv.com/5657271.html)). It seems like a common, even normal way of saying "do". In Taiwan, "幹" is basically profane, used as an exclamation or cursing word (i.e., "幹，我忘了帶錢包").

Note, however, that I do know that *there are in fact exceptions to this*:

1. "你在幹什么" or "你在幹嘛", meaning "what are you doing?!". Although this is not vulgar, it is still not exactly very polite, and used either between good friends, or in very casual conversations. It may also be used by parents towards their children, i.e., a boy broke a flower pot and made some huge noise, the mother will come to investigate and ask "你在幹嘛?".
2. "幹掉", meaning "to kill off". Now, this is actually quite impolite, but doesn't qualify as profanity (but near). It's most commonly heard in war/battle TV shows, and when people are playing fighting/shooter video games.
3. "樹幹", meaning "tree trunk". Not profane or impolite at all, it's actually (at least I presume) the original intended meaning of "幹". There's also the non-derogatory phrases "幹部" (Cadres), and "主幹" (main torso/trunk/strong vertical object similar to a tree trunk).
4. Finally, some people try to be masculine by saying the phrase "幹的好啊!", but this is not formal and relatively rare.

There's not much other occasions where you can use "幹" without being impolite or insulting anyone. In Chinese verbal language/Simplified Chinese text, however, there a *lot of places* (basically everywhere) where you can use "幹". My question is, is there a fundamental difference between the slang/profanity word usage in Taiwan and China? Am I mistaken that "幹" is insulting in Taiwan? And also, if there's *really* a difference, where/when/how did the difference start? I would like to know that. I'll appreciate any help. Thanks in advance!

**Tags:** simplified-characters, slang, traditional-vs-simplified, taiwan, mainland-china

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As a native English speaker, just a comment - the word "profane" doesn't seem to be quite right here. Perhaps you were thinking of a similar, more appropriate word: profanity. Other synonyms you could use are:  vulgar, inappropriate, obscene, debased, uncouth, offensive, ignoble, mean, lewd, wicked. // https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/profane // https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/profanity  
> **username_2**: 我的理解，您是指“大陆人的汉语”和“台湾人的汉语”。我认为，他们没有根本的区别，无论是正式语言，书面语言，口语，俗语，都没有根本区别。我是指大陆的普通话和台湾的国语。至于方言，各个地域都有不同，不仅仅限于台湾和大陆其他省份。  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I fixed the mistake. I'm also a native English speaker, but I sometimes just get sloppy on word usage. Sorry about that. Also, thanks for pointing out! I hope my improved version is more correct. (Note: I kept some of them "profane", in places where it should be an adjective rather than a noun.)  
> **username_0**: Any comment from downvoter? Please state where I can improve.  
> **username_3**: " In Taiwan, "幹" is basically profane, used as an exclamation or cursing word (i.e., "幹，我忘了帶錢包"). " No. 幹 is considered a profanity only when it is used to mean intercourse. The other four examples you gave are all valid usages in Taiwan.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Yeah, did you not see the "There are in fact exceptions to this:" line? I'll edit my post to make it bold and a header for everyone to see. Maybe the current way in which my post is written makes that line too hidden, causing confusions. I apologize for any formatting problems that caused misunderstandings/confusions.  
> **username_3**: @username_0 What you considered exceptions are what I considered normalcy. I don't really hear daily usages like in "幹，我忘了帶錢包". OK. I think that also depends on what kind of people you're with.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-09-13. Score: 2

Anecdotally, I have also noticed that there is a big disconnect between some terms in Taiwan vs. Mainland. This extends even further throughout the Chinese diaspora.

I can recall one instance of a formal paper written by Mainlanders using the term:

* [对着干](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%8D%E8%91%97%E5%B9%B9)

> to deliberately do the opposite thing to oppose someone

To which a group of Taiwanese people vehemently objected almost as if the writers had entirely lost their wits about them. Of course, the original group did not find any problem with a word like 对着干. I am not sure where the proclivity to be upset with innocuous words stems from.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Speaking language is a living thing, it varies from local to local in big countries like China.  对着干 is a common expression among Taiwanese whose parents came from the mainland, but it is not a vocabulary for Taiwanese whose ancestors came to Taiwan a few hundred years ago. But, differences in vocabularies do exist between Taiwan and mainland China.  
> **username_0**: There's another phrase/term that also sounds insulting to Taiwanese but not to Chinese, and is similar to 对着干: "互搞".  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2024-09-13. Score: 1

No matter in Taiwan or China, it's NOT every single character has ONLY ONE meaning.  
Lots of time, it depends on the WORD.

For example, the single character `幹` means FUxK(someone)  
But the word `樹幹` doesn't ask you to FUxK a tree! Actually it's base of branches  
In fact, most of the time, the `幹` is synonymous with `做`(do).

Although China and Taiwan have been separated for nearly a century, but with more communication in recent years, there are still many words used in the same way.

For your example, "幹，我忘了帶錢包"
This 幹 doesn't mean wanna FUxK someone, it's just a impolite pronounce words(發語詞)  
... sorry, I don't know how to translate 發語詞 exactally.

The most different part should be the Hokkien part  
Most of Taiwaness can say/understand Taiwanese/Hokkien , but only Fujian prople understand Hokkien .  
Althought Taiwanese is come from Hokkien , but Taiwanese is mixed with Japanese now, so there are a little different currently.  
Taiwanese said `便當` that come from `お弁当` of Japanese, China said `盒飯`.  
You might google "大陸台灣用語對照"

---

For fun :  
For the words, 才幹過人,  
You can translate it into `才幹`(competence)+"過人"(Extraordinary)  
or into `才`(just)+"幹過人"(FUxK somebody)  
... it's depending on your breakpoints  
Enjoy... :p

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Quite a great answer, I like how you explain things. However, I know "幹" have many different meanings, including non-offensive ones. I think I listed the "Exceptions" explicitly in my question, so I know "樹幹" is "tree trunk" (I probably won't translate that as "base of branches", although it's still correct). My question is basically, *is it really true that "幹" is (basically) offensive in Taiwan while being a normal verb in China, and if so, **why**?* Also please note that "幹" in Taiwan doesn't actually always mean "f***", when used as the start of a sentence it ...  
> **username_0**: would probably translate better into English as "s ** t" or "crap" or "d ** n". It's still offensive that way, though. I think it's rather rare to use "幹" to mean to "f*** someone". Still, please take my upvote as a symbol of my appreciation for the great answer! Thanks!   
> **username_6**: So, `"幹" is (basically) offensive` is NOT true in Taiwan.  It's impolite `發語詞` both in Taiwan and China. Might be aggrasived towards stranger, but not toward close friends.  
> **username_6**: @username_0 You might try to Google `陳之漢` on Youtube. You'll find out he was ALWAYS say that word, even treat `FUxK Your Mom` as 發語詞.  It's impolite, please DO NOT study from him. Especially when facing to strangers.  
> **username_0**: Basically 發語詞 are usually impolite/offensive, though not directed towards some specific person. And I've never heard a person from China use "幹" as 發語詞.  
> **username_6**: Actually, I always say that character to close friend when I prepare to say something. It usually be the first character of all sentence ... only blabber to close friends. But NEVER said that word to strangers.  
> **username_6**: Most of 發語詞 are impolite/offensive, but not all. You might Google `蔡英文` on YouTube. You'll found that she use '呃(err)'as 發語詞 in lots of speech. It's not offensive. Most Taiwanese will say `抱歉` or 對不起(Sorry) as 發語詞, especially facing to strangers.  
> **username_0**: I checked out 陳之漢's youtube videos, I think he uses the absolute profane "他媽的" as 發語詞.  
> **username_0**: Yeah, of course I know to never say "幹" to a stranger. It's also true that not all 發語詞 are profane.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-09-13. Score: -1

> Am I mistaken that "幹" is insulting in Taiwan?

Yes, you did.

* 你幹不幹? - Will you do it or not?
* 幹. - Yes, I'll do.
* 幹什麼? - What?
* 什麼都不幹. Nothing (at all).

> ... is there a fundamental difference between the slang/profanity word usage in Taiwan and China?

Certainly. Chinese will never run out of words/vocabulary for curses, but variations exist from local to local.

* 幹你媽的 - Fuck your mother. (Taiwan). "幹" replaces "肏", the forbidden word in Taiwan.
* 日/操你娘的 - Fuck your mother. (China, specific location unknown)

Now, should we say the words "日" and "操" are insulting in China? The answer is "definitely not", even they can be used in a manner that means insulting.

Note, in Taiwan, "幹" is often used as "**语气字**" by the rebellious younger crowds as a fashionable expression, and spoken by the low-lifers to distinguish themselves from mainstream/normal people. The expression is equivalent to "dammit/fuck" in the English-speaking world.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I do not think (and actually never heard or read) any Taiwanese people would/will say "你幹不幹?", "幹.", "幹什麼?", or "什麼都不幹.", *unless* of course, that person intend to insult someone or is angry and lashing out at some person (for example, parents reprimanding their children). Of course, there are also street mobs and other people (you know what I mean) will say those above phrases. Under normal circumstances, Taiwanese people will never say those, but Chinese people will. The Taiwanese interpretations of those are (approx.): ...  
> **username_0**: ... "Will you f*** ing do it?", "Yeah, I'll do it" (in response to the last one), "What the f*** are you doing?", "Doesn't do a damn thing". I don't think any of these are polite. In China, though, most of these are normal or casual conversation phrases. Also, there's *really* no need and no point in stating one of the *worst* profanity in Chinese (you know what I'm referring to, they are bad enough I don't dare copy them here.) I think the profanity examples you listed are applicable in both Taiwan and China, thus there's no difference.  
> **username_0**: Sorry, but what's the point in asking this? But if you ask, I'm actually not Taiwanese or Chinese, I'm just an American who's interested in the Chinese language. As you can see, I'm actually interested in *a lot* of things (see my SE profile, I've only started being an active member on SE for two months, but I already have 5 sites that I'm pretty active), and Chinese is one of them. My ancestors are Asian, although I'm not so sure which country.  
> **username_0**: I started learning Chinese at the age of 10, and since then had accumulated enough knowledge about the language that I'm now able to read ancient text such as 《 黃帝內經 》and 《 水滸傳 》. As my knowledge grew, I gradually started to spend less and less time on Chinese, and currently spends most of my time learning to program (just started ~21 months ago). After I joined SO, I began to explore more and more sites on the SE network, and I found this site.  
> **username_0**: I like this site because I can spend a little time learning and helping others learn the Chinese language better. So now, this site is my go-to if I want to relax a little and immerse myself in the beauty of the Chinese language.  
> **username_0**: Wait, did you just delete your comment?  
> **username_5**: The fundamental difference is that in mainland China, "幹" has not been, or is rarely, used for insulting/profanity, however, in Taiwan, such use does exist, and is quite prevalent in certain groups addressed.  
> **username_5**: I deleted my comment because I felt it was pointless after posting it.  
> **username_5**: Let me summarize my point - In Taiwan, "幹" can be a neutral word that means "do" as in "幹什麼?"; and it can be an insulting word, that was devised in place of the forbidden word "fuck", as in "幹你媽的". It can also be a "口氣語" to express "懊惱", such as "幹, 又弄錯了!", which would be translated as "Dame, wrong again!/Dame, made a mistake again!".  
> **username_7**: As far as I know, 幹, as a vulgar profanity, such as 幹你老媽, (pronounced in Hokkien of course), is used quite often, (I dare say exclusively), by the Hokkien immigrant community in South East Asian countries. So, I suppose that accounts for its relative rarity in the Main Land which of course has its own iconic collection of metaphoric profanities.  
> **username_6**: I always said "幹(loudly)~~(1 sec)~~什麼(quietly)" to my close friends. :D  As I said, NOT very single character has ONLY ONE meaning, you have to understand it's meaning based on the whole WORD.  
> **username_7**: "幹(loudly)~~(1 sec)~~什麼(quietly)" You cheeky little ............. :) (Options: words starting with (a) "s", (b) "m", (c) "b" (d) "c" (Note: @Becky is exempted)  

---

