坏狗
huài gǒu
The English phrase 'bad dog' is translated into Chinese as 坏狗 (huài gǒu).
坏狗 is a phrase used to scold a dog that has behaved poorly.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective 坏 (huài), meaning 'bad' or 'broken' and the noun 狗 (gǒu), meaning 'dog'.
Which one should you use?
While 坏狗 is used for scolding, you may also use the informal terms 淘气狗 to mean 'mischievous dog' or 调皮狗 to signify a 'naughty or mischievous dog'.
How do you pronounce it?
huài gǒu
Did you know?
- While 坏狗 means 'bad dog', the phrase 狗血 (gǒu xuè), meaning 'dog blood', is used as slang to describe a plot in a movie or book that is overly dramatic or cliché.
- In Chinese culture, the dog is often associated with loyalty, but calling someone a 狗 (gǒu) in a slang context is a severe insult. Using the word 狗 to describe a person's character is far more offensive than calling a dog 坏狗.
- While 坏狗 is a direct translation, Chinese speakers often use the word 乖 (guāi), meaning 'obedient' or 'well-behaved', as a reward. Saying 乖乖 (guāi guāi) to a dog is the cultural opposite of calling it a 'bad dog'.
Example conversation
A dog has just knocked over a trash can.
- 雨婷 Yuting坏狗！快离开那里！Huài gǒu! Kuài lí kāi nà lǐ!Bad dog! Get away from there now!
- 浩然 Haoran雨婷，别对他大喊。Yǔ tíng, bié duì tā dà hǎn.Yuting, don't shout at him.
- 雨婷 Yuting看他把垃圾弄得到处都是！Kàn tā bǎ lā jī nòng de dào chù dōu shì!Look at how he got trash everywhere!
- 浩然 Haoran我会帮你就地清理的。Wǒ huì bāng nǐ jiù dì qīng lǐ de.I will help you clean it up right here.
