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cursing.in curse like a local

Italian · Exclamations

Che schifo!

kay SKEE-fo · /ke ˈski.fo/

How gross! / Yuck!

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"What disgust"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The all-purpose "ew" — spoiled food, a filthy bathroom, gossip about someone's behavior. "Fa schifo" means "it's disgusting/it sucks," and you can level it at anything from a meal to a government. Mild enough for anyone; the disgust is the whole point.

Heard in the wild

Hai visto il bagno? Che schifo!

Did you see the bathroom? So gross!

Where it lands

Universal across Italy

Quick answers

What does "Che schifo!" mean?
In Italian, "Che schifo!" means "How gross! / Yuck!". Literally it's "What disgust". The all-purpose "ew" — spoiled food, a filthy bathroom, gossip about someone's behavior. "Fa schifo" means "it's disgusting/it sucks," and you can level it at anything from a meal to a government. Mild enough for anyone; the disgust is the whole point.
Is "Che schifo!" 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 "Che schifo!"?
Say it "kay SKEE-fo" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ke ˈski.fo.

Related in Italian

Merda! MEHR-dah Shit! / Damn it! Vaffanculo! vah-fahn-KOO-lo Fuck off! / Go to hell! Cazzo! KAHT-tso Fuck! / Damn! / The all-purpose Italian curse. Che palle! kay PAHL-lay What a pain in the ass! / So annoying! Porca miseria! POR-kah mee-ZEH-ryah Dammit! / For heaven's sake! Minchia! MEEN-kyah Holy shit! / Wow! / Damn!

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Disgusting".

how to say "Disgusting" →

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