eca
/ˈɛ.kɐ/
The Portuguese way to say 'ew' is eca. If unsure, use eca. Wiktionary also lists credo and que nojo!
Meaning: expression of disgust or nausea (intj)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| eca | /ˈɛ.kɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈɛ.kɐ/ (Portugal) |
| credo | /ˈkɾɛ.du/ (Brazil) /ˈkɾɛ.du/ (Portugal) |
| que nojo! | /ki ˈno.ʒu/ (Brazil, word by word) |
These expressions are used to convey feelings of disgust or nausea.
Which one should you use?
While eca focuses on physical disgust, credo can also express a sense of shock, dread or moral disapproval. To emphasize your disgust, you can use the phrase que nojo!, which functions like 'how gross!' or 'how disgusting!' in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to describe a person or object as 'gross' using the root of the disgust expression, you can use the adjective nojento for masculine or nojenta for feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word eca is pronounced as /ˈɛ.kɐ/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The expression credo is actually a shortened way of saying the religious phrase 'creio em Deus Pai!', meaning 'I believe in God the Father!'
- Using credo can sometimes function as a superstitious shield to ward off bad luck or the 'evil eye' when seeing something unsettling.
- Depending on the region, credo can be used to express surprise or disbelief, similar to saying 'no way!' or 'my goodness!'
Examples in context
- Eca! Que nojento!Ew! That's so gross!This example shows how to use eca to express that something is gross.Tatoeba #2440420 by MethodGT, translation #2440415 by MethodGT
- Eca, esse leite está estragado.Ew, this milk is spoiled.
- Eca, que cheiro ruim!Ew, what a bad smell!
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Juliana are looking at a plate of old food in the fridge.
- RodrigoEca, olha esse queijo!Ew, look at this cheese!
- JulianaNossa, que nojo, Rodrigo.Wow, how disgusting, Rodrigo.
- RodrigoParece que tem mofo.It looks like it has mold.
- JulianaMelhor jogar fora agora.Better throw it away now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ew” translations and entries eca, credo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (que, nojo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries credo, nojo, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
