Russian · Exclamations
Фу!
fu
FOO · /fu/
Yuck! / Ew! / Gross!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"(interjection of disgust)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The sound of revulsion — spoiled food, a bad smell, gross behavior. "Fu, kakaya gadost'" (ew, how disgusting) is the full combo. Also aimed at a misbehaving dog like "no!" Childlike and universal; nothing rude about it.
Heard in the wild
Фу, что это за запах?
Ew, what is that smell?
Where it lands
Russia (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "Фу!" mean?
- In Russian, "Фу!" means "Yuck! / Ew! / Gross!". Literally it's "(interjection of disgust)". The sound of revulsion — spoiled food, a bad smell, gross behavior. "Fu, kakaya gadost'" (ew, how disgusting) is the full combo. Also aimed at a misbehaving dog like "no!" Childlike and universal; nothing rude about it.
- Is "Фу!" 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 "Фу!"?
- Say it "FOO" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: fu.
Related in Russian
Ужас! uzhas OO-zhahs How awful! / That's terrible! / Yikes! Блин! blin BLEEN Damn! / Darn! / Shoot! Чёрт! chyort CHORT Damn! / Hell! Ё-моё! yo-moyo YO mah-YO Oh boy! / Geez! / Good grief! Ёлки-палки! yolki-palki YOL-kee PAHL-kee Good grief! / For heaven's sake! Офигеть! ofiget' ah-fee-GYET Wow! / Holy cow! / No way!
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
- Greek αηδία Gross / disgusting / yuck.
- 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
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.