I know certain measure words convey respect, for example:
一位客人
Is there something similar I could use to emphatically disrespect someone, as in:
他是一?饭桶
Or is just using 个
disrespectful enough?
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Sign up to join this communityI know certain measure words convey respect, for example:
一位客人
Is there something similar I could use to emphatically disrespect someone, as in:
他是一?饭桶
Or is just using 个
disrespectful enough?
I can't recall any special disrespectful measure words in Chinese. Such disrespectful phrases are just expressed with simple measure words according to the noun. Like
他是
一个笨蛋 [offensive level: 1]
一个饭桶 [offensive level: 2]
一个贱人 [offensive level: 4]
一个傻逼 [offensive level: 5, with profanity word
屄/逼(cunt)
]一个二逼 [offensive level: 5, with profanity word
屄/逼(cunt)
]
or
一坨屎 [offensive level: 3]
一只(个)禽兽 [offensive level: 2]
一条走狗 [offensive level: 2]
Note that the offensive level is my personal feeling: 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. You'd better not use offensive level >= 3
words when speaking to somebody face to face, or, you'd better be ready for a fight :)
A few Chinese people use measure words 只/坨
to show emphatic disrespect with metaphor.
他是一只小人。 (the measure word implies he is even not a human.)
But it is rarely heard in daily life. Interestingly, the official editorial often use
一 小撮 不明真相的群众
一 小撮 犯罪分子
to describe some kind of people are really few with a derogatory sense. It's a metaphor too, implying that kind of people are just like a small pinch of dust.
To emphasize the expression, you can omit the numeral
他是个饭桶。 He is a scalawag.
Or you can also use 就是
, 真是
他就是个饭桶。 He is exactly a scalawag.
他真是个饭桶。 He is really a scalawag.
And for shouting, omit the verb 是
他个饭桶。
你个傻逼。
Hong Kong Cantonese uses the expression
(一 ) 條 友/友仔
(jat1) tiu4 jau5/jau5zai2
one long:MW friend
as a contemptuous way of referring to a person. While 個 can be used instead, the measure word 條 suggests something long, slippery and unpleasant.