3 year old saying curse words

I was just going into the kitchen and I heard my daughter say "smurf, smurf". I wanted to make sure I heard her right and I asked her "What did you say?" and she looked at me and said "Nothing!" And covered her mouth, as if she knew it was a bad word.

First of all, we rarely speak English at home. I do teach her English so that she'll be ready when she goes to school but typically we speak Arabic. Second of all, I don't watch movies or TV around her that uses curse words. If I want to watch that stuff, I wait until after she's asleep. Even then it's very rare. She doesn't go to daycare and we're not around anyone that speaks English around her that she could pick up this word.

So how could she have learned it, and know well enough that it's a bad word?

My daughter is 3 and her truck use to sound like smurf. She also will not tell you what she said anytime you ask her unless she was asking for something to you but if she is just going around the house talking to herself and you ask her what she said she will say nothing.

Maybe she was saying something that sounded like smurf. Did you use a harsh tone when you asked her what she said? That might've scared her into thinking she was saying something bad even if she wasn't.

Noo I wasn't harsh at all when I asked her. It was more like "what was that?". I was in disbelief because I couldn't fathom where she'd heard that. I am absolutely certain that it was the word "smurf". She doesn't struggle with pronunciation at all.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Pusherman:</b>" Noo I wasn't harsh at all when I asked her. It was more like "what was that?". I was in disbelief because ... [snip!] ... where she'd heard that. I am absolutely certain that it was the word "smurf". She doesn't struggle with pronunciation at all."</blockquote>



Hmm   I'm at a loss then, mama. I'm not sure where she could've picked it up. I'd just suggest if you hear her say it again, correct her and let her know that word is unacceptable.