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What does 牛逼 mean? Someone gave a presentation on it in my school.

Can someone define it?

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  • In English we say "the cats pajamas" in Chinese they say "the cows cunt" – user3306356♦ Oct 3 '14 at 19:57
  • In today's common language we prefer to use 流弊 or 牛比(with an exaggerated 3rd tone) if we are not talking in that vulgar register....although not that elevated, either. – Joseph S WU Oct 8 '14 at 3:26
  • It's NOT from the "cow cunt" actually, the really meaning word is 牛, which is the cow, making the meaning to describe something amazing or super cool. but it's not that comfortable to pronounce just one character in Chinese loudly (牛 sounds like 'new' in english), so a dirty word in mandarin combined with just like holy shit in english to make speaking more fluent. AND 逼 is NOT the character of vagina, the real one is 屄 which is 尸(body) combined with 穴(hole), 逼 is used for the same pronunciation of 屄(sounds like 'bee' in english), because 屄 would never appear in daily text even on internet. – igonejack Jan 14 at 16:53
  • AND 牛逼 is not decent Chinese, we speak it, we write it on internet, but rarely see this word on TV / Movie caption, and would never see this word on books. – igonejack Jan 14 at 17:01
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This word has a very vulgar origin. It literally means cow's sex organ. Paradoxically, I hear it spoken more often among professionals like doctors and professors among themselves. Professional women swear more, and thus speak of it more often.

牛逼

  1. Thriving and formidable. 哈佛是所很 ~ 的大学. Harvard is a thriving and formidable university.

  2. Arrogant, insolent. 没有人敢在那里 ~. No one dare to be insolent in there.

牛, cow

逼, 屄, female sex organ.

Source: http://baike.baidu.com/view/54728.htm

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  • Note: In my personal experience, Chinese from northern take it as kinda swearing, but in other parts of China people do not take that so seriously. – Xiaoge Su Oct 3 '14 at 21:18
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    It is a swear word. There is no mistake about that. But when used in intimate circles, it is not necessarily insulting. – George Chen Oct 3 '14 at 21:59
  • It is considered a slang (from Internet) at the southern China (from a Hong Kong POV). – Pete C. Oct 3 '14 at 22:09
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    It's safe to say that in dorm rooms and barracks, between sisters and battle buddies. You say that in a classroom only when you want to be provocative. – George Chen Oct 3 '14 at 22:32
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    In my experience, it's hardly insulting/provocative in any occasion (unless the listener took it wrong), but it can be very inappropriate to use. I think both the tone and the vulgar level is somewhere between 'holy shit' and 'holy fuck' in English. – NS.X. Oct 3 '14 at 23:51
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it means awsome ro kick ass

他很牛逼 he is awsome

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  • Usually shortened to just 牛, particularly in media, like in 最牛钉子户 news.sina.com.cn/z/cqzndzh – user4452 Oct 5 '14 at 8:45
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From Urban Dictionary:

Chinese word meaning "fucking awesome." Translated literally, it means "cow pussy."

It is a complimentary word

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Well, firstly, congratulation to you that you find a high frequency word in SPEAKING Chinese.

I will list some different occasions you can use.

  1. Describe someone or something is the No.1:

    Jobs is 一个牛逼的人.

  2. Question or describe someone who is arrogant and unruly:

    闯红灯还这么牛逼. or 你牛逼什么？

  3. When you know someone did unbelievable things(bad things（illegal or wicked or stupid） but none of your business) and that complex feeling makes you cannot say anything.

    -Did you hear that? Sam(a nice guy) beat up the professor in lecture this morning. -牛逼.

Ps: No one should use it in presentation. You can say it with your sworn friends, because 逼 is dirty word in Chinese.

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It means "OMG, awesome, amazing"

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  • 牛逼 Northern dialects, idioms, life with a swearing, describe the other behavioral or know of a state, said the heartfelt sigh to speakers of other languages, appreciated very much The commendatory word belongs to, need not be derogatory term. For example: you are very cow force means you're good, which can contain language heartfelt admiration, when others admire to you are or can be used to describe the cow force. Sometimes also contains arrogance. The meaning of pride too
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牛逼 can also be replaced by 牛B、NB、牛掰、牛X、流弊，which is extremely commonly used in spoken Chinese. You can use it to show your surprise or praise towards someone(something) really amazing or sometimes dislike towards someone being too arrogant. BTW, 逼 can mean pussy which is offensive. So in very formal situations, I suggest you omit 逼， just say 牛 which is fairly OKAY.

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