du riechst nach Kacke
The English phrase "you smell like poop" is expressed in German as du riechst nach Kacke.
This phrase is a blunt or insulting way to tell someone that they have a bad odor resembling feces.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase du riechst nach Kacke literally translates to "you smell after poop" because the preposition nach is used with the verb riechen to indicate the scent being smelled.
Which one should you use?
While the default form is du riechst nach Kacke, you can also use Du stinkst nach Kacke to say "You stink of poop" or Du riechst wie Scheiße to say "You smell like shit".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you were to use the formal Sie address, you must change the verb to riechen, as in Sie riechen nach Kacke. For a more clinical or formal way to say "You smell like feces", you can use Sie riechen wie Kot.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing more than one person (plural), you must change the pronoun to ihr and the verb to riecht, resulting in ihr riecht nach Kacke.
Did you know?
- The word Kacke is believed to be onomatopoeic, modeled after the rhythmic sounds a baby makes while attempting to defecate.
- The preposition nach in this phrase is a linguistic relative of the English word 'nigh'.
- Using the word stinken instead of riechen removes all ambiguity, as it can only be used for foul odors and never for a pleasant scent.
Examples in context
- Du riechst nach Kacke, geh weg!You smell like poop, go away!
- Echt jetzt, du riechst nach Kacke.Seriously, you smell like poop.
Example conversation
Two siblings are arguing in a room.
- MaximilianHannah, geh weg, du riechst nach Kacke!Hannah, go away, you smell like poop!
- HannahDas stimmt gar nicht, Maximilian!That's not true at all, Maximilian!
- MaximilianDoch, es ist echt eklig.Yes it is, it's really disgusting.
- HannahDu bist einfach nur gemein.You are just mean.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Kacke, du, nach, CC BY-SA 4.0.
