What does “साला” mean in English?
It’s used as an insult or emphatic address, similar to calling someone a bastard. While it literally means 'wife's brother,' the context is where the rudeness comes in.
Literally “wife's brother”
You might hear it as a direct insult or an intensifier, like 'you bloody bastard.' Its impact can vary greatly depending on familiarity with the person being addressed.
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Related Hindi words
हरामज़ादा
3/5 · Vulgarharamzaada
It's an insult that compares someone to a bastard or scoundrel, implying they're morally corrupt or despicable. The literal translation refers to being born out of wedlock, which adds a layer of personal attack.
हरामी
3/5 · Vulgarharami
It's an insult aimed at someone, calling them a bastard or a scoundrel. The literal meaning refers to an illegitimate person, which carries a stigma.
कमीना
3/5 · Vulgarkamina
It’s an insult used to describe someone as a scoundrel or a nasty person. Literally, it translates to 'mean person.'
कुत्ता
3/5 · Vulgarkutta
It means 'dog' in a literal sense, but as an insult, it refers to a contemptible person. It's a way to demean someone, suggesting they are lowly or base.
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About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via 4troDev/profanity.csv, LDNOOBW, Viddexa SafeText (MIT, CC-BY-4.0). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.