T

(ts: see C; tz: see Z)

Firefly–Serenity Chinese Pinyinary
Chinese translations with standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization and Chinese characters for Firefly the TV series and Serenity the movie and comic books

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Chinese Dialog

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Ta1ma1 de5.

Simplified characters: 他妈的。 / Traditional characters: 他媽的。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Damn it!
Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Ta ma de. [phonetic for English speakers: TAH-mah-duh.]
Translated from script English: Dammit.
Context: “Serenity, Part 1,” Mal, upon learning of approaching Alliance cruiser

ta1ma1 de5

[offensive] Damn!, Damn it!, S***!, F***!; [literally: his mother’s]

ta1ma1: [literally: his mother]
1. ta1 [de5]: his
  1. ta1: he
  2. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
2. ma1: [colloquial] a mom, a mother
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]

See also:

Ni3 ta1ma1 de5. Tian1xia4 suo3you3 de5 ren2. Dou1 gai1si3. (“Serenity, Part 1”)
Ta1ma1 de5 hun2dan4. (“War Stories”)
Ye1su1, ta1ma1 de5— (“Jaynestown”)
Zhen1 ta1ma1 yao4ming4. Zhu4yi4. (“Serenity, Part 1”)

Ta1ma1 de5 hun2dan4.

Simplified characters: 他妈的浑蛋。 / Traditional characters: 他媽的渾蛋。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Damn bastard.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): TAH-mah-duh hwun-DAN.
Translated from script English: Mother humping son of a b****.
Context: “War Stories,” Mal, addressing Niska

ta1ma1 de5

[insult] [offensive] damn/damned [intensifier], f***ing [intensifier]; [literally: his mother’s]

ta1ma1: [literally: his mother]
1. ta1 de5: his
  1. ta1: he
  2. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
2. ma1: [colloquial] a mom, a mother
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]

hun2dan4

[insult] [offensive] a scoundrel, a bastard (nonliteral)

hun2: to be stupid, to be foolish
dan4: [word used in insults of people]; [literally: an egg]

Note:

Mal sounds like “May, tah mah duh hwoon dahn.” Thank you to Firefly Chinese translator Jenny Lynn for confirming, before the script was published, my suspicion that Mal’s “may” sound isn’t part of the Chinese.

See also:

ge5 zhen1 de5 hun2dan4! (“Jaynestown”)
hun2dan4 (“Serenity, Part 2,” “Bushwhacked,” “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” Serenity: Those Left Behind #1)
Ni3 ta1ma1 de5. Tian1xia4 suo3you3 de5 ren2. Dou1 gai1si3. (“Serenity, Part 1”)
Ta1ma1 de5. (“Serenity, Part 1”)
Ye1su1, ta1ma1 de5— (“Jaynestown”)
Zhen1 ta1ma1 yao4ming4. Zhu4yi4. (“Serenity, Part 1”)

Ta1ma1 de5! Ni3men5 de5 bi4zui3!

Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Ta ma de! Nimen de bizui!
Changed to: Ni3men5 dou1 bi4zui3! (N)

Ta1 shi4 suo3you3 di4yu4 de5 biao3zi5 de5 ma1!

Simplified characters: 她是所有地狱的婊子的妈！ / Traditional characters: 她是所有地獄的婊子的媽！
Back-translation of Mandarin: She’s the mother of all the whores of hell!
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tah-shr SUO-yo DEE-yure duh biao-tze duh MAH!
Translated from script English: She's the mother of all the whores in hell!
Context: “Trash,” Kaylee, upon seeing Saffron’s engine sabotage

ta1 shi4

she is

ta1: she
shi4: to be

suo3you3 di4yu4 de5 biao3zi5 de5 ma1

the mother of all the whores of hell

suo3you3 di4yu4 de5 biao3zi5 de5: of all the whores of hell
1. suo3you3 di4yu4 de5 biao3zi5: all the whores of hell
  1. suo3you3: all, every
    1. suo3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: that which
    2. you3: there is, to possess
  2. di4yu4 de5: of hell, hell’s
    1. di4yu4: hell
      1. di4: the ground
      2. yu4 [used only in compound words]: a prison
    2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
  3. biao3zi5: [insult] [offensive] a whore
    1. biao3 [used only in compound words]: a prostitute
    2. zi5: [suffix to make noun two syllables]
2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
ma1: [colloquial] a mom, a mother

Note:

Thank you to Firefly Chinese translator Jenny Lynn for the ta1 shi4 and the complete English meaning (and for confirming the other Hanyu Pinyin romanization in this entry) before the script was published.

See also:

Liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5 he2 hou2zi5 de5 ben4 er2zi5. (“Safe”)
Wang2ba5dan4 de5 biao3zi5. (“Trash”)

Tai4kong1 suo3you3 de5 xing1qiu2 dou1 sai1jin4 wo3 de5 pi4gu5

Simplified characters: 太空所有的星球都塞尽我的屁股 / Traditional characters: 太空所有的星球都塞盡我的屁股
Back-translation of Mandarin: All the heavenly bodies of outer space stuffed all the way up my butt
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): TAI-kong SUO-yo duh shing-chiou doh SAI-JIN wuh duh PEE-goo
Translated from script English: All the planets in space flushed into my butt
Context: “War Stories,” Wash, after Zoe states Mal’s opinion

tai4kong1 [de5] suo3you3 de5 xing1qiu2 dou1

all the heavenly bodies of outer space

tai4kong1 [de5]: of the sky, of outer space
1. tai4kong1: the sky, outer space
  1. tai4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: great, grand
  2. kong1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: the sky, space
2. [understood: de5 的 : [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]]
suo3you3 de5 xing1qiu2 dou1: all the heavenly bodies
1. suo3you3 de5: all, every
  1. suo3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: that which
  2. you3: there is, to possess
  3. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]
2. xing1qiu2: a heavenly body
  1. xing1: a star, a heavenly body
  2. qiu2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a globe
3. dou1: all [commonly used redundantly with suo3you3 de5]

sai1jin4

stuffed all the way up

sai1: to stuff up, to squeeze in
jin4: to the limit

wo3 de5 pi4gu5

my butt (of the body)

wo3 de5: my
1. wo3: I
2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
pi4gu5: a butt (of the body), a backside (of the body)
1. pi4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: [colloquial] a butt (of the body), a backside (of the body)
2. gu3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a thigh

Note:

Wash sounds like “Tai-koong soo-yoo-yo duh shing-chow sai-jin wuh duh pee-goo” instead of the TAI-kong SUO-yo duh shing-chiou doh SAI-JIN wuh duh PEE-goo of the script.

See also:

fei4fei4 de5 pi4yan3 (“Objects in Space”)
hou2zi5 de5 pi4gu5! (“Trash”)
pi4gu5 (“Shindig”)
Ti1 wo3 de5 pi4gu5. (“Shindig”)

Ti1 wo3 de5 pi4gu5.

Simplified/Traditional characters: 踢我的屁股。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Kick my butt.
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tee wuh duh pee-goo.
Translated from script English: Kick me in the bottom.
Context: “Shindig” [Cut], Mal, after he upsets Kaylee about dress

ti1

to kick

wo3 de5 pi4gu5

my butt (of the body)

wo3 de5: my
1. wo3: I
2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
pi4gu5: a butt (of the body), a backside (of the body)
1. pi4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: [colloquial] a butt (of the body), a backside (of the body)
2. gu3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a thigh

See also:

fei4fei4 de5 pi4yan3 (“Objects in Space”)
hou2zi5 de5 pi4gu5! (“Trash”)
pi4gu5 (“Shindig”)
Tai4kong1 suo3you3 de5 xing1qiu2 dou1 sai1jin4 wo3 de5 pi4gu5 (“War Stories”)

tian1cai2

Simplified/Traditional characters: 天才
Back-translation of Mandarin: genius [noun]
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): [(Not in script) tyen tsai (from “The Train Job” script)]
Translated from script English: genius
Context: “Bushwhacked” [Cut], Kaylee, to Harken to mock Alliance ship’s designer

tian1cai2

a genius

tian1: nature-given, heaven, God
cai2 [used only in compound words]: a person with a capability

See also:

zhen1 de5 shi4 tian1cai2 (“The Train Job”)

Tian1sha1 de5 e4mo2.

Simplified characters: 天杀的恶魔。 / Traditional characters: 天殺的惡魔。
Back-translation of Mandarin: Goddamn fiend(s).
Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Tyen-sah duh UH-muo. [In unpublished version of script; Taiwan Mandarin pronunciation (FAQ)]
Translated from script English: Goddamn monsters. [In unpublished version of script]
Context: “Ariel” [Cut; In unpublished version of script], Simon, referring to River’s experimenters

tian1sha1 de5 [+NOUN]

damned-by-heaven [+NOUN], goddamned [+NOUN]; [literally: that God will kill]

tian1: heaven, God
sha1: to kill
de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]

e4mo2

an evil person, a fiend, [Buddhism] a devil

e4: to be fierce
mo2 [used only in compound words]: a devil, a demon

See also:

Ai1ya1. Tian1 a5. (Serenity [movie])
Lao3tian1, bu4. (“Safe”)
Lao3tian1ye2. (“Ariel”)
tian1 xiao3de2 (“Bushwhacked,” “Safe,” “The Message”)
Wo3 de5 tian1, a5. (“Bushwhacked”)

tian1 xiao3de2

Simplified characters: 天晓得 / Traditional characters: 天曉得
Back-translation of Mandarin: Heaven knows!
1. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): tyen shiao duh
Translated from script English: name of all that's sacred
Context: “Bushwhacked,” Wash, invoked on overhearing shots on derelict ship
2. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): tyen-shiao duh
Translated from script English: heaven knows what
Context: “Safe,” Gabriel (Tam), invoked about some Cortex contents
3. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): TYEN shiao-duh
Translated from script English: name of all that's sacred
Context: “The Message,” Mal, invoked to Tracey about what Tracey stole

tian1 xiao3de2

[colloquial] [set phrase] [borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] [see note below] God knows!, Heaven knows!

tian1: heaven, God
xiao3de2: [borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] [see note below] to know
1. xiao3: to know
2. de2: [ending for one-syllable verbs]

Note:

Native Mandarin term: tian1 zhi1dao5 天知道 : [set phrase] God knows!, Heaven knows!; tian1: heaven, God; zhi1dao5 知道 : to know, to be aware of (zhi1: to know; dao4 a way)

See also:

Ai1ya1. Tian1 a5. (Serenity [movie])
Lao3tian1, bu4. (“Safe”)
Lao3tian1ye2. (“Ariel”)
Tian1sha1 de5 e4mo2. (“Ariel”)
Wo3 de5 tian1, a5. (“Bushwhacked”)