Expressing Disgust in Spanish

By definition, nobody likes to feel disgusted, and yet disgust is sadly a very common sentiment. Let's learn a few ways in which Spanish speakers express their disgust.

Let's start with the most basic. The expression me da asco (literally "it gives me disgust") has many different translations, depending on the context:

Me da asco, la verdad, mire, señor...

You make me sick, truthfully, look, sir...

Caption 23, Muñeca Brava - 18 - La Apuesta
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Cuando te duele la cabeza, tenés unas náuseas que

When your head hurts, you have nausea that

te da asco todo.

makes everything disgusting to you.

Caption 73, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión - Part 5
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This expression is also very interesting because of the idiomatic use of the verb dar (to give), which is used a lot in Spanish to express a wide variety of feelings, from me da miedo (it frightens me), to me da pena (I feel ashamed) and me da gusto (it pleases me). In order to learn it and remember it, we suggest you recall an expression in English that uses the same verb in the same way: "it gives me the creeps," which in Spanish could translate as me da asco or me da escalofríos (it makes me shrivel), or something else, depending on the context. Our friends from Calle 13 use dar repelo (repelo is a coloquial word for "disgust"):

Oye jibarita si te doy repelillo,

Listen, peasant girl, if I give you the creeps,

Residente te quita el frenillo

Residente will take away your stutter

Caption 44, Calle 13 - Tango del pecado
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Other phrases that can also be used in Spanish are me enferma (it makes me sick), and me da náuseas (it makes me feel nauseous). Check out this example:

Verla me da náuseas.

Seeing her makes me sick.

Caption 22, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión - Part 1
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Now let's learn some single words that you can use to express your dislikes. The interjection guácala (sometimes written huácala) is used in Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, el Salvador, República Dominicana, and many other Latin American countries. By the way, this word has nothing to do with guacamole (from Nahuatl ahuacatl "avocado" + molli "sauce"), which is delicious.

¡Ay guácala!

Oh, gross!

No, no se puede. ¡Huele a muerto!

No, it's not possible. It smells like a corpse!

Captions 4-5, Kikirikí - Agua
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A similar word is fúchila, which you could also find shortened as fuchi. This word is also used in many Latin American countries, Venezuela, for example:

¡Fuchi! Mejor no respires, pero cálmate, ¿sí?

Ew! Better you don't breathe, but calm down, OK?

Caption 51, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso
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In Spain people use the interjections puaj, puah, or aj:

¡Puaj, este pescado está podrido!
Yuck, this fish is rotten!

Now, in Spanish the antonyms of the verb gustar (to like) and the noun gusto (like) are disgustar (dislike) and disgusto (dislike). However, you should pay attention to the context to learn how to use them. Take, for example, the expression estar a disgusto (to be uncomfortable or unhappy):

Yo ya estaba muy a disgusto en México.

I was already unhappy in Mexico.

Caption 42, Arturo Vega - Entrevista
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If you want to use the verb disgustar to express your dislike about something, you have to remember to always use it with a reflexive pronoun:

Me disgustan las achoas.
I dislike anchovies.

However, it's more common to simply say:

No me gustan las achoas.
I don't like anchovies.

Notice that when you use the verb disgustar (to dislike) the verb is conjugated in the third-person plural (in agreement with las anchoas) and not the first-person singular (yo). If you ever were to say something like me disgusto, which is possible but as common as me enojo (I get angry or upset), that would mean something different:

Me disgusto con Antonio siempre que llega tarde.
I get angry with Antonio whenever he's late.

The noun disgusto, on the other hand, is used as the noun asco (disgust), that is, with the verb dar (to give). The expression dar un disgusto means "to cause displeasure," or "to make someone angry, sad, or upset").

Mi hijo me dio un disgusto muy grande al abandonar la escuela.
My son made me so upset when he quit school.

Finally, the expression matar de disgusto (literally, "to kill someone by means of upsetting him or her") is a common expression that overly dramatic people really like to use:

Esta hija mía me va a matar de un disgusto.

This daughter of mine is going to kill me with disappointment.

Caption 42, Muñeca Brava - 3 Nueva Casa
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