No, they don't always mean that the person is being rude. Quite the opposite, sometimes.

As Alice pointed out, people don't normally swear when they're with their boss or their parents. Parents don't swear in front of children and kids don't swear in front of their parents.

People swear when they're with their equals, their peers and their friends. As Jennifer says, it's a way of establishing intimacy with someone. Swearing can be a sign that you feel relaxed and comfortable with that person and that you're accepting them as a friend.

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Very interesting topic! I agree with most of what other people have said. I had a linguistics professor in college who said that swearing is the hardest thing to learn in a foreign language. It is tricky to use swear words in the right context. If I were you I would avoid swearing in English unless you are totally sure that you will not offend anyone, because swearing can get you in trouble. I think swear words are something you pick up in conversation with native speakers or by listening to native speakers talk. Swear words come out when you are really angry and you lose control a little of what you say. Also swear words can be slang words that you use with your social group and peers. In the slang word context, swear words do not have to be rude or offensive. They can be funny. It is almost a way of establishing intimacy through language, in a sense, because you can use words that are socially precarious and trust you will be understood. It represents an extreme informality and being part of a social group.

For me personally, I do swear a lot with some of my close friends. It is almost like a linguistic code that represents our generation, shared beliefs and shared social space. I do not swear at work, with my children, with my parents and with people I do not know very well. Using swear words is almost like entering into a new linguistic register of extreme informality that says "you and I are good friends and I can relax when I talk to you. I do not have to filter my words."

Do you have swear words in your native language? Do you use them in a similar way that English speakers do?

Yes i swear a fair bit. Alice summed it up well. You need to know where and when to use it. Business settings, infront of kids or certain elderly is a big no no. Its also country dependent .

I wouldnt use c*nt infront of americans( actually maybe i would because i enjoy pissing off the yanks[emoji]）but i would with australians .

If im in a boozer, you are more likely to hear me say "This beer is shit/fucking shit/dogshite etc.

For me, there is s big difference between" It tastes bad" and " it tastes fucking shite"

Bill represents a certain morality.  There are people who believe it is always wrong to swear, and people who believe it's ok to use the 'worst' words at top volume on a bus full of children. Personally, I'd avoid swearing in a foreign language unless you are very sure you're using it correctly and with people who won't be offended. Unless, of course, you're angry and want to offend.

There's a whole class of words that 'replace' swears, and in my experience, they're more common in North American English than British or Australian.  (I don't know enough people/sources from other English countries to comment.)

gosh, golly, gee whix, geez, shoot, shucks, heck, darn, gosh darn it--anyone have others?

Two things I find interesting about swearing.

1. North Americans seem to use 'religious' swears less than Brits, while the Quebecois use them more than people in France.

2. Swearing appears to help reduce pain, but only for people who rarely swear.