beurk
/bœʁk/
The English phrase "yuck" can be translated into French as beurk.
beurk is an interjection used to express disgust. You may also encounter Pouah, which is an expression similar to "yuck" that can be used playfully or sarcastically.
Meaning: uttered to indicate disgust (intj)
Which one should you use?
Pouah is an expression similar to yuck that can be used playfully or sarcastically. Additionally, if you want to describe something as "disgusting", you might hear the colloquial abbreviation dégueu, which is an abbreviation of dégueulasse and is a colloquial expression mostly used among young people.
How do you pronounce it?
/bœʁk/
Did you know?
- The colloquial dégueu comes from the verb dégueuler, which actually means 'to vomit' rather than just 'to be disgusting'.
- While beurk is the standard word for 'yuck', French speakers often accompany it with a physical gesture of pushing the palm of the hand away from the face.
- The expression Pouah mimics the sound of someone spitting out something foul, making it a more physical, performative version of 'yuck'.
Examples in context
- Beurk ! Ça à l'air affreux !Yuck! That looks awful!This sentence shows how to use beurk to react to something that looks awful.Tatoeba #7108819 by felix63, translation #12144650 by calypsow
- Beurk.Yuck.This sentence demonstrates the use of beurk as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #7956621 by Micsmithel, translation #7670709 by soliloquist
- Beurk !Yuck!This sentence shows beurk used as a simple exclamation.Tatoeba #10504301 by pkill, translation #8672229 by ajje
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are looking at a very old, moldy piece of cheese.
- NathanRegarde ce fromage, il est tout vert.Look at this cheese, it is all green.
- LéaBeurk ! Je ne peux pas manger ça.Yuck! I cannot eat that.
- NathanTu as raison, c'est vraiment dégoûtant.You are right, it is really disgusting.
- LéaVite, jetons-le à la poubelle !Quick, let's throw it in the trash!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yuck” translations and entries beurk, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
