tu pues
The English phrase "you stink" is translated into French as tu pues.
This phrase is used to tell someone that their body or their breath has an unpleasant smell. If you want to specify that the smell is coming from the breath, you can say Tu pues de la bouche.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form tu pues is informal and is used when speaking to friends, family or children. For formal situations or when addressing more than one person, use the form vous puez.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes from tu pues to vous puez when you are addressing more than one person or when you are using the formal vous form.
Did you know?
- Using the formal vous puez with a stranger is not seen as polite distance, but as an exceptionally aggressive and confrontational act.
- The verb puer is so strong that in French slang, ça pue is used to describe a situation that feels suspicious or suggests something illegal is happening.
- In very informal slang, the adjective puant can be used as a noun to call someone a despicable or contemptible person, even if they smell perfectly fine.
Examples in context
- Tu pues.You stink.This sentence is useful for stating that someone stinks using the form tu pues.Tatoeba #9556169 by Micsmithel, translation #4834656 by shekitten
- Est-ce que tu pues après le sport ?Do you stink after sports?
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are in a small elevator.
- ManonHugo, tu pues !Hugo, you stink!
- HugoC'est vrai ? Je ne sais pas.Is it true? I don't know.
- ManonOui, ça sent très fort.Yes, it smells very strong.
- HugoDésolé, je dois prendre une douche.Sorry, I need to take a shower.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
