# How to say “coward” in Chinese

> The mildest way to say “coward” in Chinese is 胆小 (dǎn xiǎo), “timid (lit. small gall)”. The strongest is 缩头乌龟 (suō tóu wū guī), “coward (lit. turtle pulling its head in)”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.

Source: https://lanlanchinese.com/how-to-say/coward-in-chinese (updated 2026-10-18)

1. **胆小** (dǎn xiǎo) (strength 1/5): timid (lit. small gall). In chinese, courage lives in your gallbladder.
   Heard in a real video: 虽然胆小好色， "A scaredy-cat and a flirt, but such a manly character." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxAqdOZDKJ4&t=25s)
2. **怂** (sǒng) (strength 2/5): chicken, scared. One character, maximum shade.
3. **胆小鬼** (dǎn xiǎo guǐ) (strength 3/5): scaredy-cat (lit. small-gall ghost). Teasing, between friends.
4. **怕死鬼** (pà sǐ guǐ) (strength 4/5): chicken (lit. afraid-to-die ghost). Contempt. Not a joke anymore.
5. **缩头乌龟** (suō tóu wū guī) (strength 5/5): coward (lit. turtle pulling its head in). The picture says it all.

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