Slang phrase guide speaks volumes about language

Eveline Chao has published the book not only to create an interest in Manderin, but also for people to discover Chinese culture. Wang Jing / China Daily

It's the type of book that would make sailors blush, but don't go buying it for grandma. Welcome to the book of Chinese slang.

With chapter titles ranging from "Internet Slang" to "Behaving Badly", Eveline Chao's "Niubi - The Real Chinese You Were Never Taught in School", has got Chinese learners and citizens alike speaking in a more colorful, and sometimes more coarse, vernacular.

More than three years in the making, Chao's book, published late last year, catalogs the underbelly of the Chinese language.

With phrases from "suo tou wugui", a Chinese expression for cowards meaning "turtle with its head in the shell", to "se lang", meaning "color wolf", an expression used to describe an overly aggressive male, to the downright dirty, the book offers adult readers a way to "spice up" their everyday dialogue.

"The key to learning any language well is to create real interest. If you're just taking Mandarin to earn a college credit, you won't take it very seriously," she said. "These kinds of words help make the language much more fun."

Read more at China Daily