In the last few decades leading up to the 1949 Communist revolution, the city of Shanghai was unquestionably the most sinful place on earth. “If God lets Shanghai endure, he owes an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah,” said one missionary living there in the early twenties.

The Whore of Asia, as the city was known, was born in 1842 at the conclusion of the Opium War, when the British forced imperial China to open the port city to foreign trade, and the British-soon followed by the Americans, the French, and numerous other nationalities-quickly established settlements there, each governed by its own rule of law. The mishmash of completely different governments, laws, and courts meant that evading arrest was as simple as walking a block in one direction or another (or buying a fake passport for some random nationality). That, the extreme contrasts of fabulous wealth and decrepit poverty, the opium business driving all the city’s moneymaking, the political turmoil brought about by the overthrow of imperial rule, and an ensuing period during which various parts of China were ruled by a rotating cast of brutally violent warlords-not to mention numerous other causes-all combined to make Shanghai the final destination for hedonists, capitalists, adventurers, journalists, businessmen, prostitutes, gangsters, political refugees, gun runners, intel lectuals, arms dealers, movie stars, and dilettantes from every corner of the globe.

Decadence reached its apex in the 1930s, when the opium trade had grown into a full-fledged international drug cartel trafficking in morphine, heroin, and cocaine. The cargo made its way into Europe, South America, and the United States-all controlled by a Chinese mob boss who was simultaneously head of the Nationalist government’s Opium Suppression Bureau. The city had three hundred jazz cabarets and a hundred thousand prostitutes, organized gambling thrived on the largest scale of any city in the world, in addition to opium parlors and gambling halls there were nightclubs that featured erotic shows with real live onstage sex, and at some hotels you could order heroin via room service.

Today Shanghai is still known for its nightlife but compared to its heyday is a relatively staid financial city. The influx of foreigners coming to misbehave, however, continues, alive and well, throughout the country. For most, this seems to involve drinking oneself into oblivion every night, doing a lot of drugs, and sleeping around with the locals while teaching English and “finding yourself.”

Whether your vice of choice is methamphetamines or auto theft, hookers galore or simply partying till dawn, here is the necessary vocabulary for every naughty deed under the Eastern sun.

Fun and partying

玩 wán (wahn)

Play. A generic word for going out, partying, or any kind of social activity.

外出 wài chū (why choo)

Going out.

酒吧 jǐubā (joe bah)

Bar.

夜总会 yèzǒnghuì (yeh dzohng hway)

Club. Literally “night meeting.”

迪厅 dītīng (dee teeng)

Club. Literally “disco hall.”

夜店 yèdiàn (yeh dyinn)

Nightclub. The term encompasses discos, karaoke bars, cafés, and video arcades and can also refer to establishments offering illegal sex services. The term originated in Taiwan and has spread through southern China. It’s used to a lesser degree by young people in northern China as well.

迪斯科 dīsīkē (dee suh kuh)

Disco. A transliteration of the English.

轰趴 hōngpā (hohng pah)

A transliteration based on the English phrase “house party” but with the additional connotation of having so much fun that you collapse: 轰 hōng (hohng) means “an explosion” and 趴 pā (pah) means “lie on your stomach,” so the words together suggest something along the lines of being struck dead. Used in Taiwan.

蹦迪 bèngdī (bung dee)

Disco dance.

卡拉 OK kǎ lā OK (kah lah OK) or KTV

Both terms mean “karaoke.” The first is a transliteration of the English word, but most Chinese simply say KTV, pronouncing the letters as you would in English.

麦霸 màibà (my bah)

Microphone monopolist. 麦 Mài (my) refers to a mike and 霸 bà (bah) means “tyrant.” A term popular among young people to describe someone who hogs the mike at karaoke.

刷夜 shuā yè (shwah yeh)

To stay out all night, hang out with shady people, run with a bad crowd. Literally “swap night.”

Alcohol

喝酒 hē jǐu (huh joe)

To drink alcohol.

喝多 hēduō (huh dwuh)

Drunk, hung over. Literally “drink much.”

喝醉 hēzuì (huh dzway)

Wasted. Literally “drink tipsy.”

喝大了 hē dà le (huh dah luh)

A northern Chinese way to say “very drunk” or “wasted.” Literally “drank big.”

干 gān (gahn) or 干了 gān le (gahn luh)

Drain one’s glass, shoot it, suck down a drink really fast. Literally “dry [the glass].”

酒滥用 jǐu lànyòng (joe lahn yohng)

Alcohol abuse. Literally “alcohol excessive use.”

酒鬼 jǐuguǐ (joe gway)

Alcoholic. Literally “alcohol ghost.”

白酒 báijǐu (buy joe)

Chinese liquor. Literally “white alcohol.” Báijǐu is notoriously strong (about the same proof as vodka) and even more notoriously foul tasting. It is drunk only in shots, accompanied by an elaborate set of rituals and social mores that, in a nutshell, enable Chinese men to bully each other into puking oblivion beneath a veneer of politeness.

醉酒驾驶 zuì jǐu jià shǐ (dzway joe jah shih)

Drink and drive.

Mild vices

撒谎 sāhuăng (sah hwahng)

Tell a lie. Literally “release yellow.”

荤的 hūn de (hwen duh)

Dirty, obscene, pornographic. Literally “meat or fish,” referring to Buddhism, which considers such foods unclean or dirty. One term that uses this is 荤段子 hūn duànzǐ (hwen swun dz), meaning “dirty joke.”

吃枪药 chī qiāng yào (chih chyahng yow)

To speak rudely or insolently. Literally “to swallow gunpowder.” As in: “Why are you being such an asshole-did you swallow gunpowder?”

喷粪 pēn fèn (pen fen)

To swear, curse, say dirty words. Literally “spurt manure” or “puff out dung.”

毛腔 máoqiāng (maow chyahng)

Swear, curse, lose one’s temper. Literally “hairy chests.”

嘴臭 zuǐ chòu (dzway choe)

Literally “stinky mouth.” Refers to someone who is vulgar or rude or swears a lot.

裸奔 luǒ bēn (lwuh ben)

Streaking.

玩心跳 wán xīntiào (wahn sheen tyow)

Thrill seeking. Literally “play with your heartbeat.” That is, to engage in activities that will quicken your heartbeat.

飙车 biāo chē (byow chuh)

Drag racing. Literally “whirlwind car.”

钢管舞 gāng guǎn wǔ (gahng gwahn oo)

Pole dancing. This activity has become popular among some urban Chinese women as a form of exercise, with at least a few of them unaware that westerners associate it with stripping.