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Comment by sudosteph | Hacker News Reader

That video IS the context. It's Covid era - everything is streamed. We are all watching the same thing the students saw.

And if a Chinese professor prefaced the use of that word with an explanation about that word's usage in another language, I would find that a very memorable educational experience. That's it. I don't need to be warned about a sound because a similar sound with a different meaning is used in negative ways.

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> I don't need to be warned about a sound because a similar sound with a different meaning is used in negative ways.

Perhaps you don’t - that’s fine. But can you see why other people might need such a warning?

If you were teaching a foreign language word with a similar sound to “motherfucker” what reaction would you expect from your class of 18-21 year olds?

No, I really can't see why. And like many other women in this world, I've actually experienced being called that word in a threatening way. Sound alone does not make a word scary. Context and intent matter.

As far as saying "motherfucker" - I'd expect chuckles from any students paying attention. Then class would continue. It's not like students haven't heard all of these words before.

I would expect them to use their brains and understand that this is a word in a foreign language that has a completely different meaning than the offensive word in their own. Is that too much to ask for?

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