puți
/puˈt͡si/
The Romanian phrase for "you stink" is puți.
This phrase is used to tell someone that their body or breath has an unpleasant smell.
How do you pronounce it?
/puˈtsi/
Did you know?
- In Romanian, the word puț meaning 'well' (the water source) is a homonym of puți. Because they sound the same, it is a common source of puns and wordplay in Romanian jokes.
- The word puți shares an ancestral root with the English word 'putrid', describing something decaying and foul-smelling.
- While puți is a direct way to say 'you stink', using it in a social setting is considered an extremely blunt social transgression in Romanian culture.
Examples in context
- Ai uitat să folosești deodorantul azi, nu-i așa? Mirosul tău e groaznic!You forgot to use deodorant today, didn't you? Your smell is terrible!
- Vă rog să acordați atenție igienei personale. Mirosiți neplăcut.Please pay attention to personal hygiene. You smell unpleasant.
- Vă recomand să utilizați un săpun antibacterian. Aveți un miros deranjant.I recommend using an antibacterial soap. You have an unpleasant smell.
Example conversation
Maria notices Alexandru just came back from the gym.
- MariaAlexandru, puți a sală!Alexandru, you stink of the gym!
- AlexandruȘtiu, am avut un antrenament greu.I know, I had a hard workout.
- MariaMergi repede la baie să te speli.Go to the bathroom quickly to wash up.
- AlexandruMă duc acum, scuze!I'm going now, sorry!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry puți, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries puți, CC BY-SA 4.0.
