鬼话
guǐhuà
In Chinese, 'bull crap' is expressed as 鬼话 (guǐhuà).
The term 鬼话 is used to describe deceptive, unbelievable or nonsensical talk, similar to calling something 'baloney' or 'nonsense'. It refers specifically to lies or nonsense told to deceive someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 鬼 (guǐ), meaning 'ghost' or 'spirit' and 话 (huà), meaning 'speech' or 'words', literally translating to 'ghost talk'.
Which one should you use?
While 鬼话 functions as a noun meaning 'lies' or 'nonsense', you might use the expression 胡说八道 to describe the actual act of talking nonsense. For a more casual sense of 'nonsense' or 'rubbish', you can use 废话. If you want to express the idea of 'endless nonsense' in a more formal or polite manner, use 废话连篇.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the informal expression 瞎扯 is used to mean 'talking nonsense' or 'chatting randomly'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, 鬼话 is commonly used in the sentence structure '别听他的鬼话' (bié tīng tā de guǐhuà) to mean 'Don't listen to his nonsense'.
How do you pronounce it?
guǐhuà
Did you know?
- While 鬼话 literally means 'ghost talk', the Chinese word for 'ghost' 鬼 is often used to describe someone who is mischievous, cunning or tricky rather than just a supernatural being.
- If you wish to escalate your dismissal from mere 'nonsense' to 'total rubbish', you can use the term 胡说八道, which literally incorporates the number 'eight' into the phrase.
- Unlike the English 'bull crap' which references cattle, the Chinese equivalent 鬼话 links deception to the spirit world, reflecting a cultural history where ghosts were seen as masters of trickery.
Examples in context
- 他的论点完全是胡说八道。His arguments are completely bull crap.
- 我不想听到他的废话连篇。I don't want to hear his endless nonsense.
- 别再说那么多废话了。Stop talking so much nonsense.
- 别听他的鬼话。Bié tīng tā de guǐhuà.Don't listen to his nonsense.
- 这全是鬼话。Zhè quán shì guǐhuà.This is all pure lies.
- 你又在说鬼话了。Nǐ yòu zài shuō guǐhuà le.You are telling lies again.
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are discussing a rumor about a coworker.
- 伟 Wei他说他明天要辞职。Tā shuō tā míngtiān yào cízhí.He said he is going to resign tomorrow.
- 雨婷 Yuting真是鬼话，他肯定不会走的。Zhēn shì guǐhuà, tā kěndìng bú huì zǒu de.That's bull crap, he definitely won't leave.
- 伟 Wei但我听见他这么说了。Dàn wǒ tīngjiàn tā zhème shuō le.But I heard him say that.
- 雨婷 Yuting他平时最爱说这些鬼话了。Tā píngshí zuì ài shuō zhèxiē guǐhuà le.He is always telling that kind of nonsense.
