What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te apesta el trasero is literally translated as "the butt stinks to you", where te apesta means "it stinks to you".
Which one should you use?
While te apesta el trasero is the default, you might encounter other versions. Tu trasero apesta is an informal way to say "Your rear end stinks". If you use the verb oler in the phrase te huele mal el culo, it is a slightly less intense way of expressing the same idea than using apestar.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness varies greatly depending on the words chosen. Su retaguardia tiene mal olor is a formal expression meaning "Your rear end smells". In contrast, Tu trasero apesta and Tu culo huele mal are informal. To be significantly more vulgar and aggressive, one might use te apesta el culo, which replaces the more neutral trasero with the vulgar culo.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, instead of using a possessive adjective like "your", the construction te apesta el trasero uses an indirect object pronoun te (to you) and the definite article el (the) before the body part.
How do you pronounce it?
/te apesta el tɾaseɾo/
Did you know?
- The word trasero shares an etymological root with the Latin word trāns, which is the ancestor of many English words related to 'across' or 'beyond'.
- Using culo instead of trasero transforms the phrase from a rude comment into a vulgar insult. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, culo is considered significantly more offensive than the English word 'ass'.
Examples in context
- Te apesta el trasero, cómprate un jabón.Your booty stinks, buy yourself some soap.
- ¡Qué asco, te apesta el trasero!How gross, your booty stinks!
- Si no te lavas, te apesta el trasero.If you don't wash yourself, your booty stinks.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are arguing in a crowded room.
- Alejandro¡Qué fuerte huele, te apesta el trasero!It smells so strong, your booty stinks!
- María¡Cállate, Alejandro, no es cierto!Shut up, Alejandro, that's not true!
- AlejandroEs verdad, te apesta el trasero.It's true, your booty stinks.
- María¡Eres un grosero!You are a rude person!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, te, trasero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
