Greek · Reactions & Outbursts
βρωμάει
vromáei
vroh-MAH-ee · /vroˈma.i/
It stinks / this is fishy / something's off.
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"it stinks"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Literal for a genuine bad smell, figurative for a situation that reeks of dishonesty — "η δουλειά βρωμάει," this deal is shady. "Βρωμιάρης" is a filthy/grubby person. Grandma-safe. A close idiom: "μυρίζει άσχημα η υπόθεση" (this case smells bad). Handy at both the fish market and the negotiating table.
Heard in the wild
Κάτι βρωμάει με αυτή την προσφορά.
Something's fishy about this offer.
Where it lands
Greece & Cyprus (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "βρωμάει" mean?
- In Greek, "βρωμάει" means "It stinks / this is fishy / something's off.". Literally it's "it stinks". Literal for a genuine bad smell, figurative for a situation that reeks of dishonesty — "η δουλειά βρωμάει," this deal is shady. "Βρωμιάρης" is a filthy/grubby person. Grandma-safe. A close idiom: "μυρίζει άσχημα η υπόθεση" (this case smells bad). Handy at both the fish market and the negotiating table.
- Is "βρωμάει" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "βρωμάει"?
- Say it "vroh-MAH-ee" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: vroˈma.i.
Related in Greek
σκατά skatá skah-TAH Shit! / Crap! — and 'garbage / terrible' for anything low quality. αηδία aïdía ah-ee-THEE-ah Gross / disgusting / yuck. άντε ρε ánte re AHN-deh reh Get outta here / oh come on / give me a break — dismissive disbelief. έλα ρε éla re EH-lah reh Come on! / No way! / You're kidding — disbelief, protest, or delight depending on tone. τι φάση ti fási tee FAH-see What's going on? / What the hell? / What's the deal? πω πω po po poh POH Wow / oh my / good grief — astonishment, dismay, or admiration.
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Disgusting".
- French Ça craint ! That's sketchy / That sucks / This is bad news
- German Drecksau Filthy pig / dirty swine
- Italian Che schifo! How gross! / Yuck!
- Japanese キモい Gross / creepy / disgusting
- Korean 극혐 So gross / absolutely revolting — maximum disgust in two syllables.
- Polish syf Filth / grime / a dump — squalor as a one-syllable verdict.
- Portuguese Bosta! Crap! / (a) piece of garbage
- Russian Фу! Yuck! / Ew! / Gross!
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.