Learning Curse Words in a New Language: Dirty Everyday Slang

Expletives: something most of us use more often than we realize – or probably should. Those things we have to remind ourselves to avoid when the grandparents are over for the holidays. We try to keep them out of schools, away from kids, we consider them to be disrespectful but despite all of our efforts they continue to pervade society as a string of subconscious guilty pleasure.

Curse words are fun, easy and actually play an interesting role in our cultures and our languages. While I don’t usually recommend them as the first thing someone starting a new language should learn, most people seem to like to do it anyway.

So, if you’re going to be one of those people who swears up a storm and is itching to know the dirtiest, most insulting words, slang, idioms and other naughty phrases that your new language has to offer; I’ve got exactly what you need.

Let’s get D!RTY: Dirty Everyday Slang

Despite being one of my favorite book series for language fans, “Dirty Everyday Slang” still probably isn’t going to be the most practical piece you’ll buy for your language projects this year, but it could be the most entertaining.

I purchased the Russian version a while back and have been nothing but pleased. Believe me, Russian is certainly one of the more colorful tongues when it comes to linguistic swordplay and I’ve been entertained not only with the content, but the ways in which it is presented.

The “Dirty Everyday Slang” series is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, and if you’re looking for the dirtiest of curses, idioms and conversation pieces it really delivers.

This fiery line of books functions as a segmented dictionary dedicated to informing you of only the most raunchy, insulting and otherwise vulgar terminology and wordplay that your new language and culture has to offer.

When I say that they’re vulgar, I’m not just talking about your run-of-the-mill four letter expletives. No, we’re talking about the hardcore stuff. The things you feel uncomfortable thinking about let alone speaking out loud. These books have words and phrases that would make even the most grizzled pirate blush – some of which don’t necessarily have an English language comparison. In those cases the authors were kind enough to explain in graphic detail.

But don’t worry – reading these books won’t make you a bad person. It might set you down the dark and twisted path that leads to bad personage, but for now it’s just edutainment. Just, you know, don’t use them outside your closest group of friends. Even then, be careful.

I can’t say that these books are the best gift for “any” learner, but I’m willing to bet that you know at least one or two people who would love to get their filthy hands on this series.



The books are segmented into chapters and cover topics ranging from hardcore sex to softer dating or romantic terms. It includes your standard curse words, bathroom humor and even gets into racist/sexist/homophobic and other socially unacceptable and non-PC content.

The “Dirty Everyday Slang” books are small enough to make great stocking-stuffers or even serve as a gag-gift for your white elephant party. Personally, I don’t support excessive censorship of children, but if you do – this is really not something you want to place on the shelf next to Dr. Seuss. Still, your adult friends will most likely get a kick out of this – even if they aren’t a serious language learner.

The books are available in Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, Chinese, French, Japanese, American Sign Language (ASL), Portuguese, Hungarian, Korean, Greek, Yiddish, Czech, Polish, Dutch and Tagalog, and should be available in most countries.

You can find them all right here by following this link!

Dirty Spanish also has an accompanying workbook for those who are so into naughty Spanish that they want to actively study it with over 101 exercises! Unfortunately, the workbook appears to be only available in Spanish, for now.

We all know that you’re just itching to learn the best slang and curse words, whether you’re starting a new language or are a veteran speaker or polyglot. There’s something for everyone inside.

So, let’s talk about cursing and language learning

Honestly? Don’t actually apply this stuff to real life. You never know what kind of fire you’re playing with if you’re not extremely well integrated with the culture. Even then, you’re playing with a dangerous tool.

Using vulgar language is kind of therapeutic sometimes. Personally, I always feel more at ease around new people when they start to swear casually. It humanizes them to a relatable level and gives me the opportunity to then speak naturally myself without feeling either inappropriate or uptight. Swearing in front of someone invites comfort, familiarity and also turns what could be a tense professional encounter into something more casual. This is not true of all people, though.

As an example: if an employer giving an interview swears subtly and casually during the interview, it can put the person being interviewed into a more comfortable state of mind. That’s not to say that you should start cursing up a storm at your next job interview, but if you are the person giving the interview or another such formal meeting, sometimes a tastefully inserted “shit” could put people at ease.

And yes – I did reread that last sentence a few times.

This may not be true of everyone – many people do not appreciate vulgarity and cursing in their vicinity, and those people should have their space respected if possible. I’ll probably receive a little bit of flak from readers myself simply for promoting this piece.

I am not suggesting that by buying these books – or pursuing the “swear words” in your new language that  you should actually be using them in everyday life. In fact, when it comes to learning a new language I always recommend very strongly that you avoid most cursing entirely until you’re fluent or nearly fluent as well as deeply familiar with the culture. If you live in a foreign country, you will likely pick up on a lot of the common usages naturally, and gradually incorporate things into your vocabulary, but always, always just ask a native if you’re not sure.



In English, many of our classic four letter words have begun to lose their punch in modern society. We now say them casually with our friends, while walking around in public, and even at work. These words tend to have a direct translation in other languages, but the gravity  of those words can vary considerably from language to language and culture to culture. Many English insults involve animals, relating people to dogs or pigs or something along those lines. These comments are almost always casual or semi casual. and are rarely actually offensive.

However, there are cultures where these things are actually incredibly insensitive or taboo. Equating someone to a pig, for example, isn’t nearly as cool if you live in certain communities. Discussing certain topics that we may think of as benign may be more of an issue than you think. This is why it’s essential to know a thing or two about the people you’re going to be speaking to, before you cry havoc and let slip the words of war.

So again, my advice to most is to just avoid excessive (or any) profanity entirely. If you move abroad or are spending a while traveling or otherwise surrounded by the language you’re learning – you’ll pick up on these things naturally and learn how to add these words to your vocabulary in a much more natural (and gradual) way.

Pricing

The Dirty Everyday Slang series of books is quite affordable for just about any budget. The books range from between $8 and $15 USD for paperback copies on Amazon.

These books are also available on Kindle for even less.

Quick plug: If you’re not using the Kindle app yet, you really should be. It’s totally free, available on all of your devices – phone, tablet, and even computer. You don’t even have to own an actual Amazon Kindle device to use the app, making it perfect for anyone who likes books or magazines. The Kindle store is also equipped with thousands of free books – particularly “the classics” – in a number of languages other than English. I’ve used it in the past for Russian language reading.

I know a lot of people are staunch holdouts for paper books – and I prefer them too in most circumstances and I usually purchase hard copies of books I know I’m going to really want. But Kindle is great for buying that book you aren’t sure you’re really going to love. It’ll be cheaper, take up less space, and hey, at the end of the day it’ll be more eco-friendly! Nothing wrong with using both!

If you sign up for a Kindle account by following this link, LATG will actually earn a small $3 commission.  This doesn’t cost you anything extra at all and you’d be helping to support this site!

In case you missed it before, the Dirty Everyday Slang series can all be found here.

Conclusion

When it comes to a fun, interesting language learning book, it’s hard to go wrong with the Dirty Everyday Slang series. It’s definitely not going to make you fluent, and probably won’t become your next primary companion, but it’s a great way to bolster your vocabulary and earn yourself a few laughs.

I highly recommend this series to anyone with a bit of a dirty mind or who knows a language learner who might appreciate a good dose of the profane and vulgar. They’re great as a seasonal or birthday gift as well as for your own personal use.

Have you used the Dirty Everyday Slang books before? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!

Brian Powers

Apex-editor of Languages Around the Globe, collector of linguists, regaler of history, accidental emmigrant, serial dork and English language mercenary and solutions fabricator. All typos are my own.