<p>I would read this sentence as literally "can one speak rudely here?"  Or, more colloquially: "can we swear here?"  "Is there anyone here who can swear?" would be more like "这里有人能说脏话吗?"</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T17:45:08.410Z
It seems like a rather strange thing to say though?!
Cocowalla
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T19:54:17.557Z
Some chat rooms have rules against swearing, no?  So it seems like a reasonable thing to ask to me.
user238264
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-13T07:45:40.083Z
@Cocowalla [See this picture](http://imgsrc.baidu.com/forum/w%3D580/sign=9c3bf1928618367aad897fd51e728b68/5dcd5cdf8db1cb13653e00a8dd54564e93584b9e.jpg). There's a well-known incident where a reporter asks a man what he thinks about gas prices. He says, "Can I swear? No? Then I don't have anything to say."
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T16:55:29.407Z
2013-12-12T16:55:29.407Z
user238264
<p>First of all, you saw this sentence in a online chat, people in online chat room tend to use sarcasm. So the meaning of the sentence here is:</p>

<p>Can I swear/speak rudely here?</p>

<p>This situation happens when a guy saw something in the chat and really want to swear on it. Instead of typing a particular one, this guy use this sentence to explain that he really want to swear all the rude words he can come up with.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T19:54:00.083Z
2013-12-12T19:54:00.083Z
Archeosudoerus
<p><code>脏话</code> means <code>F-word</code> or <code>profanity</code>.</p>

<p><code>脏</code> means <code>dirty</code>, implies <code>sex organs</code> or <code>sexual intercourse</code>.</p>

<p><code>话</code> means <code>language</code> or <code>words</code>.</p>

<p>So the literal meaning of <code>脏话</code> is <code>dirty words</code>.</p>

<p><code>脏话</code> stands for some words about sex organs used to insult people, that is to say, <code>profanity</code> or <code>F-word</code>.</p>

<p><code>这里能说脏话吗？</code> stands for <code>May I speak F-words here?</code></p>

<p>Also, another example mentioned by user fabregaszy: <code>我能说脏话吗？不能？那我就没什么可说的。</code> stands for <code>May I speak F-words? No? Then I have nothing to say.</code> It shows that the speaker is extremely angry of this decision so I have to say nothing except F-words to the decision maker.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-31T15:29:12.087Z
2013-12-31T17:28:09.077Z
2013-12-31T17:28:09.077Z
Victor
<p>The simple and direct translation of</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>这里能说脏话吗?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Can we speak dirty words here?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>or</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Can we speak filthy words here?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>"we" or "I" is implied in the sentence. The words would have to be spoken by someone.</p>

<p>The wiki page <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words" rel="nofollow">Seven dirty words</a> are examples of dirty words (profanity) or 脏话.</p>

<p>By the way, 脏话 is not allowed here.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-13T01:57:52.623Z
2013-12-13T04:26:14.477Z
2013-12-13T04:26:14.477Z
Nobody
<p>F words, <em>litterally</em>   dirty words</p>

<p>这里能说脏话吗= Is speaking F words allowed here?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T07:32:20.347Z
2013-12-19T07:55:22.333Z
2013-12-19T07:55:22.333Z
Joseph S WU
<p>From my point of view, 「这里能说脏话吗」may have several different meanings in different contexts.</p>
<ol>
<li>Ask other people whether he can swear in the chatroom.<br />
In this case, the person asking the question wants to talk rudely in the chatroom.</li>
<li>It serves as a rhetorical question.<br />
This person may have seen some people talk rudely in the chatroom. So he said this to remind other people that it is not allowed to speak rudely in this chartroom.</li>
<li>「我能说脏话吗」&quot;Can I speak X?&quot;<br />
This is most commonly seen online. It's widely used that in fact this phrase has become an online idiom among Chinese people.<br />
It origins from a passer-by when asked by a journalist of his opinion about increasing gasoline price:<br />
「我能说脏话吗？不能？那就没有可说的。」 &quot;Can I speak X? No? Then there's nothing to say..&quot;
Now Chinese people use this phrase to express dissatisfaction about something especially when under some kind of censorship.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-13T16:44:44.790Z
From the context of what was going in at the time, I reckon it must have been #3
Cocowalla
CC BY-SA 4.0
2013-12-13T00:16:11.770Z
2020-12-23T21:23:52.733Z
2020-12-23T21:23:52.733Z
fabregaszy
<p>I just came across someone asking this in online chat:</p>

<p><code>这里能说脏话吗</code></p>

<p>I've taken that to mean, <code>is there anyone here who can speak x?</code>. It's the <code>x</code> bit I'm unsure of. If I look up <code>脏话</code> in a dictionary it says it means 'speaking rudely'. Does it have another meaning in <code>这里能说脏话吗</code>?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T17:27:02.800Z
脏话means swearwords
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-12T22:12:24.910Z
I am not sure which dictionary you were looking up, but the first result when googling "脏话 english": http://en.bab.la/dictionary/chinese-english/%E8%84%8F%E8%AF%9D
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-13T04:23:59.840Z
The speaker is trying to express his/her anger. He/She may attempt to link an old buzzword of 2012. https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E8%83%BD%E8%AF%B4%E8%84%8F%E8%AF%9D%E5%90%97%EF%BC%9F
J.Joe
<translation><meaning-in-context>
Meaning of 脏话 in 这里能说脏话吗
# Meaning of 脏话 in 这里能说脏话吗

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-12)

I just came across someone asking this in online chat:

`这里能说脏话吗`

I've taken that to mean, `is there anyone here who can speak x?`. It's the `x` bit I'm unsure of. If I look up `脏话` in a dictionary it says it means 'speaking rudely'. Does it have another meaning in `这里能说脏话吗`?

**Tags:** translation, meaning-in-context
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 脏话means swearwords  
> **username_2**: I am not sure which dictionary you were looking up, but the first result when googling "脏话 english": http://en.bab.la/dictionary/chinese-english/%E8%84%8F%E8%AF%9D  
> **username_3**: The speaker is trying to express his/her anger. He/She may attempt to link an old buzzword of 2012. https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%88%91%E8%83%BD%E8%AF%B4%E8%84%8F%E8%AF%9D%E5%90%97%EF%BC%9F  

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_10 on 2013-12-13. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

From my point of view, 「这里能说脏话吗」may have several different meanings in different contexts.

1. Ask other people whether he can swear in the chatroom.  
   In this case, the person asking the question wants to talk rudely in the chatroom.
2. It serves as a rhetorical question.  
   This person may have seen some people talk rudely in the chatroom. So he said this to remind other people that it is not allowed to speak rudely in this chartroom.
3. 「我能说脏话吗」"Can I speak X?"  
   This is most commonly seen online. It's widely used that in fact this phrase has become an online idiom among Chinese people.  
   It origins from a passer-by when asked by a journalist of his opinion about increasing gasoline price:  
   「我能说脏话吗？不能？那就没有可说的。」 "Can I speak X? No? Then there's nothing to say.."
   Now Chinese people use this phrase to express dissatisfaction about something especially when under some kind of censorship.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: From the context of what was going in at the time, I reckon it must have been #3  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2013-12-12. Score: 3

I would read this sentence as literally "can one speak rudely here?" Or, more colloquially: "can we swear here?" "Is there anyone here who can swear?" would be more like "这里有人能说脏话吗?"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: It seems like a rather strange thing to say though?!  
> **username_4**: Some chat rooms have rules against swearing, no?  So it seems like a reasonable thing to ask to me.  
> **username_5**: @Cocowalla [See this picture](http://imgsrc.baidu.com/forum/w%3D580/sign=9c3bf1928618367aad897fd51e728b68/5dcd5cdf8db1cb13653e00a8dd54564e93584b9e.jpg). There's a well-known incident where a reporter asks a man what he thinks about gas prices. He says, "Can I swear? No? Then I don't have anything to say."  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2013-12-12. Score: 2

First of all, you saw this sentence in a online chat, people in online chat room tend to use sarcasm. So the meaning of the sentence here is:

Can I swear/speak rudely here?

This situation happens when a guy saw something in the chat and really want to swear on it. Instead of typing a particular one, this guy use this sentence to explain that he really want to swear all the rude words he can come up with.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2013-12-31. Score: 1

`脏话` means `F-word` or `profanity`.

`脏` means `dirty`, implies `sex organs` or `sexual intercourse`.

`话` means `language` or `words`.

So the literal meaning of `脏话` is `dirty words`.

`脏话` stands for some words about sex organs used to insult people, that is to say, `profanity` or `F-word`.

`这里能说脏话吗？` stands for `May I speak F-words here?`

Also, another example mentioned by user fabregaszy: `我能说脏话吗？不能？那我就没什么可说的。` stands for `May I speak F-words? No? Then I have nothing to say.` It shows that the speaker is extremely angry of this decision so I have to say nothing except F-words to the decision maker.


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### Answer by username_8 on 2013-12-13. Score: 1

The simple and direct translation of

> 这里能说脏话吗?

is

> Can we speak dirty words here?

or

> Can we speak filthy words here?

"we" or "I" is implied in the sentence. The words would have to be spoken by someone.

The wiki page [Seven dirty words](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words) are examples of dirty words (profanity) or 脏话.

By the way, 脏话 is not allowed here.


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### Answer by username_9 on 2013-12-19. Score: 0

F words, *litterally* dirty words

这里能说脏话吗= Is speaking F words allowed here?


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