Bad names"

[Tom87]

OK, I know that "bad words" can be translated as palabrotas or groserías. But is there some common term in Spanish specifically for "bad names"? Like when a small child protests that an another child "called me a bad name."

I've tested all kinds of things on Google, from "malos nombres" to "nombres que insultan" to "términos peyorativos," but nothing seems to have much currency.

 

[fsabroso]

Hi,

verb: Insultar, ofender, injuriar..

That is what are you looking for?

 

[Metztli]

Hi! You can also say "apodos"

"Me ponen apodos" (They call me names)
"Me dieron un sobrenombre"

They can be either nice or offensive.

Hope it helps!

 

[Kath Rees]

Hi,

In Spain a child would usually say "mamá ha dicho un taco". Taco is generally used for swearwords, ie bad names. (I have 3 kids myself)
Hope it helps you out

 

[danielfranco]

Hi! You can also say "apodos"

"Me ponen apodos" (They call me names)
"Me dieron un sobrenombre"

They can be either nice or offensive.

Hope it helps!

De acuerdo. Mi apodo: "el metiche"
Dan F

 

[JB]

Foreros, ¿qué piensan de "picardías"?

También tengo entendido que apodo simplemente significa nickname, like Red or Pancho. If someone "called me a name" it is understood to have been an insulting name.

 

[cachaco]

Las "picardías" no se dicen sino que se hacen.
Apodos, sobrenombres, o hacer rimas ofensivas sobre el nombre de alguien como por ejemplo "Juan, juanete y regordete", caben en lo de "bad names"

 

[Metztli]

Foreros, ¿qué piensan de "picardías"?

También tengo entendido que apodo simplemente significa nickname, like Red or Pancho. If someone "called me a name" it is understood to have been an insulting name.

Apodo is not only a nickname... it can be either "Pancho" or "Fatso". There are cute "apodos" like "chaparrita" (shorty) or insulting ones like "enana" (midget)...

De acuerdo. Mi apodo: "el metiche"
Dan F

Y tú como lo tomas, positivo o negativo, cute or insulting?

 

[JB]

Entonces, todavía le falta una respuesta adecuada a la pregunta original: Is there an equivalent in Spanish to "He called me a bad name?"

"Apodo" no siempre es mal. Las palabras Palabrotas y groserías no equivalen. Tal vez no existe en español una sóla palabra que significa "bad names". (Tampoco en inglés.)

 

[Tom87]

Thanks for all the response, everyone. "Insultos" is the WR translation given for "name-calling" and this could probably apply to most cases, but insults can be less direct (though not necessarily less hurtful) than name-calling, e.g., "Cabrón," "Bitch," etc., so it's not a perfect match. I'm wondering if this is one of those cases where the distinction only occurs readily in one language.