The
Hindi language employs a large number of
profanities across the Hindi-speaking diaspora.
Idiomatic expressions, particularly profanity, are not always directly translatable into other languages, and make little sense even when they can be translated. Many English translations may not offer the full meaning of the profanity used in the context.[1]
Hindi profanities often contain references to incest and notions of honor.[2] Hindi profanities may have origins in
Persian,
Urdu, or
Sanskrit.[3] Hindi profanity is used such as promoting racism, sexism or offending someone. Hindi slurs are extensively used in social medias in
Hinglish, although use of
Devanagari script for throwing slurs is on rise.[4]
Public reception
Although Hindi profanities are often used
colloquially, few censorship attempts have been made. The Indian
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman
Pahlaj Nihalani reportedly sent the Producers' Association and Regional Officers a list of censored words that could not be used in films. This has sparked a lot of controversy.[5]
Examples
Madarchod (मादरचोद; English:
Motherfucker), sometimes abbreviated as MC, is a Hindi-language
vulgarism.[6][7] It is a form of the profanity fuck.[8] While the word is usually considered highly offensive, it is rarely used in the literal sense of one who engages in
sexual activity with another person's mother,[9] or their
own mother.[10]
Rather, it means that the target of the swearword is so inept that only his mother will offer them sex in charity.
Bhenchod (बहनचोद; English: Sisterfucker), also pronounced as behanchod is sometimes abbreviated as BC, is a Hindi-language vulgarism. It is a form of the profanity fuck. The word is considered highly offensive, and is rarely used in literal sense of one who engages in sexual activity with another person's sister, or their own sister.
Randi (रंडी or रण्डी; English:
Prostitute,
slut), is a Hindi-language "gaali" (a profanity pronounced in a low voice in front of a select audience). It is a derogatory term for a woman who is considered to be a prostitute in the literal sense, but is usually applied as a term for women who are considered too
promiscuous,
flirtatious or who
dress casually. In
Hindi cinema, it usually refers to a woman with
multiple sexual partners. Sometimes, रंडी is used just as an insult against a woman without any reason.[11]