¡Chin! (Español de México)
I hear ¡Chin! used in Mexico to indicate surprise and disappointment, as in, ¡Chin! ¡Perdimos el tren! It is used in polite company, much as in English we might use Darn!
But today somebody told me that the origin of the word is a well-known verb (with other associated parts of speech) that starts with chin, and that chin is therefore inappropriate in polite company.
Insights? Opinions? Thanks.
6 Answers
Long discussion at this link, it appears to be as Jellonz points out a mild form of a bad word- Like dang for d—n and shoot for s—t.
I only brought over a few of the responses.
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/chin-chingar.1516744/
AxwekSenior Member Mexico City Mexican Spanish
Chin no es una mala palabra, y no tiene nada que ver con "chingar" chin es lo mismo que decir "darn it" you won me. ó "damn it" pero esta palabra es un poco fuerte, "chin" no lo es tanto hay algunos sinonimos chin, rayos, hijole, caray, caramba. Ninguno de estos es grosero.
jenniferiniMember Mexico Mexican spanish
Buenos dias, Your student is right, "chin" is not a bad word, that means "oops", that's for sure, don't think it in the wrong way ok?
MetzakaSenior Member Oz "Mexican Spanish
It is a substitute word for the bad one (chingado). We also use the expressions:
Chihuahua chinita Chinto Mora y su señora
JeSuisSnobet modérateur aussi ! Mexico City Mexican Spanish
It is an interjection. To me, as Axwek and Jeniferini have stated, it is a mild word.
Cheers.
You are absolutely correct! It's part of the Mexican equivalent to the so-called English "F-bomb."
I have no experience with native Mexican speech JT, but SD's dictionary offers two definitions of the interjection "chin" as used in Mexico. One is to express surprise, the other annoyance, but neither are classed as vulgar.
Since it is only part of that other verb perhaps it has an equivalent usage to the many tamer English curses based on our "f" word: Frick, frig, feck, fudge etc. That could explain why people you wouldn't expect to be saying the worse word would say this one 
Well, I am going to give my own experience with that word. I hope the words that I will use don't offend anybody
The examples that @bosquederoble gave, are right and a little wrong. I am going to try to explain it.
Chin in theory is not a bad word, but it is a like a short way to say " ", "", that are strong expressions , but I am realising, we see normal the word "chin" to express angry, discomfort, disappointment, a bad reaction, etc. But I am also realizing, that when you use those words (complete and they are bad), "sometimes" are normal hear them(to some people) in those situations. It is a weird to explain it. But In my opinion I wouldn't use chin in formal situations or with formal people, instead I would use "rayos", "chihuahua" or un simple ugh!
I hope I can help.
I haven't studied my English for a while, so if correct my mistakes I will be grateful.
Saludos.
It is funny how bad words evolve in to acceptable words. My father, who was born in 1910. was never comfortable when ever I used the expression oh nuts!, which is a fairly common expression used by young children in the US to indicate disappointment. But when he was a little boy living in the Bronx in New York City, the same expression was an obscenity referring to a part of the male anatomy. And I still have trouble when I hear my grown up daughter use the expression that sucks, but her generation has no idea what that expression ment when I was a teenager in the 6O"s
Edwinfranco posted here , it was a good post and he pointed out that "chin" combined with another word was not acceptable . I had to delete his post sadly because of our rules but I asked him to re submit it .
