Yes, I know, the French probably have a vast collection of terms that express disgust. I’m just looking for a basic one. What would a French person say in a situation that would call for an “ewwww” or “ugh” in English?
Possibly “merde.” I’ve heard that one more than once.
“Beurk” or “yark” or “ouache” (pronounced somewhat like “wahsh”). There certainly are others but they aren’t coming to me now.
“Zut!”
First of all, it will vary between French from France and Canadian French and I imagine that French speakers from other part of the world have their own expression also.
In addition, in Canada alone, you’ll get variations between Quebec and other provinces.
In my area, “ewwww” or “ugh” as you say yourself would probably be very common.
Can you call them “vocalizations of disgust”? I think they’re more like interjections of dismay.
To be sure. I think “beurk” which I gave earlier is universal enough in the French-speaking world. It’s not one I hear especially often here, but it’s well-understood.
If you are in Canada, “câlice”, though that’s a swear word.
I could go either way.
Although “Interjections of Dismay” is a better band name.
Yeah, it’s more like “dammit” than “yuck.”
As HJ pointed out, “ouache,” “beurk,” and “yark” are pretty standard in Quebec. I think they also have “pouah!” in France.
Are actual words what the OP wants, though? His examples in English are just vocalizations.
“Beurk” was the word that came to my mind.
Fun fact: In the French version of “Spaceballs” (“La folle histoire de l’espace”), the character “Barf” is called “Beurk”.
I know that “merde” is the equivalent of “shit” in English. What do the other words mentioned mean? And how do you pronounce them?
I’m an “equal opportunity” swear-er .
Well, “beurk”, “yark”, “ouache” and “pouah” don’t “mean” anything, and they’re not swear words, they’re just vocalizations of disgust. As for their pronunciation, it’s something like this:
beurk: [bəʁk]
yark: [jaʁk]
ouache: [waʃ]
pouah: [pwa] – though linguists, shouldn’t there be something between p and w?
Calice just means “chalice” and is a common swear word in most Canadian dialects of French.
When my mom was an exchange student in Geneva in the '60s, she stayed with a very stuffy, very proper old lady. Whenever my mother and her (American) roommate would do anything that Emily Post would disapprove of, their host mother would recoil in horror and exclaim “quelle barbares!” (pronounced roughly: “KELL bar BAR”). Translation: “What barbarians!” I’m not sure I’ve got the masculine/feminine or singular/plural right on that: I’ve never actually seen it written down. The singular would be pronounced the same way, but spelled differently, I suppose.
I use this all the time.
Beurk would be yuck in English. Pouah would be what you would say for something inspiring contempt or disgust, e.g. tasting spoiled milk, or smelling a skunk.
Randy Seltzer: that would be “quels barbares!” (masculin plural for “quels”)
My favorite is “La vache!”
My Quebecoise wife says “ouffe” in this context.
ETA: ** Notes hypnagogic jerk and matt_mcl’s contributions do not mention this, and therefore assumes it’s not quite right. **
^That would sound like oof, which is sometimes used in English, usually as the sound of taking the breath out of someone.
Oh, Tom, you’re so 1930s :). Nobody says zut anymore.
That’s not disgust, though. More amazement or awe. If I had to assign an English equivalent, I’d probably go with “Holy shit !”
Back on topic, besides the already mentioned ones there’s “baaaah” although that’s a bit childish. One you’ll hear sometimes is “Aaaah dégueu !” ([degœ]). “Dégueu” is short for “dégueulasse”, itself a slang word/Parisianism for “dégoûtant”. Which means disgusting.
But if the OP is looking for the most common/not dated, then “berk” or “beurk” it is.
I don’t think it’s a Parisianism, because I hear it here too. I didn’t mention it since it’s an actual word, not just a sound.
I guess “ouf” could work for disgust, but as BigT said it’s generally used to represent the sound you make when you’re winded.