Every language has idioms and slang that sound confusing to non-native speakers. Every language also has bad words in them so here are some idioms/slang that are insults that I have learned so far in Chinese. I found them hilarious and I hope you do too.
The first insult that I learned is calling someone a lotus. A lotus is a plant that has white and pink flower on it and lives in a pond. There are no real predators of the lotus and they are generally seen as beautiful in China and included in many paintings. If you were called a lotus you would probably think it was a compliment but it is not. If someone is a lotus it means that they complain about nothing and are seen as an annoying person. The fish in the pond have something to fear because they can be eaten at any time but the lotus sits on top of the water and is safe from any danger. So when someone appears to have it good and complain about their life, they are called lotus.
Green tea is a popular drink in China and there is even dessert restaurants that serve only green tea themed dishes. This is again something that you would think is a compliment since everyone loves matcha flavored items. Calling someone green tea in Chinese is the same as calling someone a b**ch in English. Unlike the lotus meaning, there is no story as why green tea is an insult, but it definitely is rude.
During the Christmas supper I was at with my friends I found out that chicken and duck are insults too. When people order chicken to a waitress or duck to a waiter they will try to say it in more hushed tones. When you call a woman "chicken" or a man "duck" in Chinese you are calling them, in the most PG way I can say, players. You know...playboy or playgirl kind of way. So remember in Mulan when Yao calles Mulan chicken boy? I am not sure if the writers intended it to be a way to call Mulan a mean word in Chinese but now it makes sense as why Mushu got so mad.
I also find it funny that calling someone chicken in English is also an insult but it means cowardly. So really that line in Mulan is insulting in two languages.
There you have it! Now you can insult people in Chinese or know when Chinese speakers make fun of you. Use your new knowledge wisely.
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