# Fare schifo



## voyager2

What's the meaning of "fare schifo" or "fa schifo". Can someone give me some examples so I can get the meaning ?Thank you

Voyager2


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## lsp

Couple of examples:

disgusting 
il cibo fastfood mi fa schifo

awful
quel film che abbiamo visto ieri faceva schifo


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## Alfry

fare schifo = to be disgusting/filthy/loathsome/dreadful

la tua stanza fa schifo - your room is disgusting

la nostra azienda fa schifo - our company is dreadful [edited]


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## Prosecco

Well I have a question on the "schifo" issue:
can you translate fa schifo into "it sucks"? is it acceptable or too familiar?


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## Redwiley

As far as I know 'fa schifo' is very analogous to 'it sucks' in English (at least the American version of it).  It is very common, but not particularly polite - it is definitely slang that you would not use at a formal cocktail party.  You would not offend anyone by saying this, but you would be considered either rude or unsophisticated, depending on the crowd. You can use it as 'this food/dinner/movie/car/road, etc. sucks!  It is also applicable to a person - he sucks! - meaning many things, of course.

I hope that this is what you were looking for.

RW


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## lsp

I am not sure why you didn't ask this in the original post on the same subject ("Fare schifo"). There you will see other contexts where the meaning is not "it sucks," for example when used to describe an odor.


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## Alxmrphi

If, let's say a woman is screaming at a man and she says "Fai schifo!" - Does it mean "You make me sick!", is that an ok translation into English, she is really talking loud and fast and I'm not sure what else is being said.

Also, does "È schifo!" make sense, or does it have to be "fa" ?


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## lsp

I think è schifoso / è una schifezza are probably more common than è schifo. Fai schifo = you're disgusting. Use the WR search, Alex, there's plenty on fare schifo, che schifo, etc.


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## Alxmrphi

I see only two threads, and none mention "You make me sick!" in a context that I wanted to know, though I only skimmed through.


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## Akire72

It can also mean: you suck!


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## Alxmrphi

Well, that doesn't fit the context, would you say it also meant "You make me sick!" or "You repulse me!" or something to that effect?


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## Akire72

Well, yes I suppose, if you assume an elision of mi, being the correct translation of "you make me sick" *mi fai schifo*!

E' *uno* schifo, means it is a disgusting thing. For example, Italian Deputies earn 10.00€/month ... è uno schifo! (the fact that they earn so much). You wouldn't say "fa schifo", but rather fanno (loro, the deputies) schifo!


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## sapphira

Does _mettere schifo_ also make sense?


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## audia

Does schifo have a literal meaning?


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## niklavjus

sapphira said:
			
		

> Does mettere schifo also make sense?


Equal to "fare schifo", even if usually it is not used in this form. But one could ask you "Ti vuoi mettere quello schifo di vestito/scarpe/etc.?" to tell you that he/she don't like that gown/shoes/etc (very colloquial).



			
				audia said:
			
		

> Does schifo have a literal meaning?



The etymon and arcaic significance of "schifo" is "schivo" (En. shy, loath), but nowadays it is used almost only with the sense of what is disgusting, nasty, or in a wide sense, annoying, unpleasant.

There is also a sporting rowing boat called "schifo" or "singolo" (En. skiff).


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## furs

'Mettere schifo' is actually used, along with 'fare schifo', in some varieties of 'regional Italian' (e.g. the one spoke in Liguria).  'Regional Italian' can be defined as a translation of local dialect into standard Italian. In this case, for example, the espression in Ligurian dialect 'mette anguscia' is translated into the Italian  'mettere schifo'.
Etymologically, 'schifo' is associated with an ancient German word meaning 'fear, disgust' -- 'schifo' as a rowing boat has a totally different origin (Greek 'skaphos').


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## liulia

I have an ongoing argument with a friend about the expression "far schifo". Perhaps someone out there can help us decide just how vulgar it is? Would anyone use it in polite conversation?


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## mimosam

liulia said:


> I have an ongoing argument with a friend about the expression "far schifo". Perhaps someone out there can help us decide just how vulgar it is? Would anyone use it in polite conversation?


 
"fare schifo" is unsuitable in polite conversation. It is used in informal conversation.

ciao

M.


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## liulia

Grazie, Mimosam!  Sono assolutamente d'accordo - non è un'espressione carina!


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## niklavjus

furs said:
			
		

> In this case, for example, the espression in Ligurian dialect 'mette anguscia' is translated into the Italian 'mettere schifo'.


Interessante. Suona molto come "mette angoscia"; sai per caso com'è che ha preso il significato di "schifo"? 



			
				furs said:
			
		

> Etymologically, 'schifo' is associated with an ancient German word meaning 'fear, disgust' -- 'schifo' as a rowing boat has a totally different origin (Greek 'skaphos').


Non ho ritenuto utili, qui, gli ètimi più antichi ma mi incuriosisce il tuo approfondimento. 
Il significato di timore, rispetto (fràncone - Skiuhan) l'ho trovato, ma disgusto no. Mi domando in che momento si siano incrociati.



			
				liulia said:
			
		

> Sono assolutamente d'accordo - non è un'espressione carina!


Tuttavia il termine "schifo" in sé è diffusissimo e nel giusto contesto è stato usato, e lo è tuttora, da persone rispettabilissime. Certo, dire a uno che fa schifo, non è carino.


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## callmechia

furs said:


> 'Mettere schifo' is actually used, along with 'fare schifo', in some varieties of 'regional Italian' (e.g. the one spoke in Liguria). 'Regional Italian' can be defined as a translation of local dialect into standard Italian. In this case, for example, the espression in Ligurian dialect 'mette anguscia' is translated into the Italian 'mettere schifo'.
> *Etymologically, 'schifo' is associated with an ancient German word meaning 'fear, disgust'* -- 'schifo' as a rowing boat has a totally different origin (Greek 'skaphos').


 
In English we also have a slang term "skeevy", or "a skeev", meaning a person (usually a man) who is disgusting, creepy, loathsome: someone you might be a little afraid of. I think this expression is commonly understood and not technically vulgar, but is *very* colloqial and primarly used only amongst youth. 

I wonder if this word derives from the "ancient German" one mentioned above! Hmm...


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## ElaineG

> In English we also have a slang term "skeevy", or "a skeev", meaning a person (usually a man) who is disgusting, creepy, loathsome: someone you might be a little afraid of. I think this expression is commonly understood and not technically vulgar, but is *very* colloqial and primarly used only amongst youth.


 
That's totally fascinating, and I never thought about it before, but Webster's agrees that _skeevy_ comes from the Italian _schifo: __http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/skeevy__. _I expect it came into English with Italian immigration. 

I don't know why, but learning about that connection makes me really happy.

_More_:  





> _Skeevy_ is a word that eludes both AH and M-W but has recently made it into the OED. There we learn that the meaning of this U.S. slang term is as its context implies in the above sentence: "Disgusting, distasteful, or dirty; discomforting; sleazy." The first example comes from 1976, where in _Philadelphia Magazine_ article we learn that "The word ‘skeevie’ used by South Philadelphians to indicate something disgusting is from Italian ‘schifare’, to loathe."


 
http://www.thediscouragingword.com/archives/arc11.shtml

(South Philly being a historically Italian neighborhood.)


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## london calling

Ciao!
Direi: "It's revolting"!

Ma non si dice "fa schifo" riferendosi al cibo!


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## You little ripper!

Or, *It's disgusting!*


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## Cassidy's Mom

That food was so gross last night!
The food in that restaurant was sick!


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## mrguizzo

Ciao,nella precedebte discussione non si discute della differenza tra
'fa schifo' e 'mi fa schifo'.
*N*ella prima si vuole quasi insinuare una pretesa oggettiva e impersonale e pertanto la traduzione con 'it is disgusting' è perfetta.
*M*a per la seconda?
*L*a stessa traduzione non renderebbe la stessa idea e l'emozione che si vuole comunicare.
*S*i potrebbe sottolineare 'it is disgusting TO ME'?
*O *forse è preferibile 'it makes me sick'? 
*O *cosa?


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## Alessandrino

mrguizzo said:


> Ciao,nella precedebte discussione non si discute della differenza tra
> 'fa schifo' e 'mi fa schifo'.
> nella prima si vuole quasi insinuare una pretesa oggettiva e impersonale e pertanto la traduzione con 'it is disgusting' è perfetta.
> ma per la seconda?
> la stessa traduzione non renderebbe la stessa idea e l'emozione che si vuole comunicare.
> si potrebbe sottolineare 'it is disgusting TO ME'?
> o forse è preferibile 'it makes me sick'?
> o cosa?


Direi che ci vuole una frase da tradurre, altrimenti è speculazione pura. Per quanto mi riguarda, ci sono contesti in cui _fa schifo _e _mi fa schifo_ sono perfettamente intercambiabili.


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## mrguizzo

Alessandrino said:


> Direi che ci vuole una frase da tradurre, altrimenti è speculazione pura. Per quanto mi riguarda, ci sono contesti in cui _fa schifo _e _mi fa schifo_ sono perfettamente intercambiabili.



*E*sempi:
*G*li insetti fanno schifo (con pretese di oggettività)*.*

*I *fagioli mi fanno schifo (si sottolinea il ribrezzo PERSONALE per i fagioli, sottolineando col MI che si è consapevoli che il disgusto può non essere generalmente condiviso)*.*


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## Alessandrino

_Insects are revolting._
_*I* find insects revolting.

_Questo, per esempio, potrebbe essere un modo per veicolare quello che dici. Dipende sempre dalle frasi, comunque, non credo ci sia una formula unica. Come non c'è in italiano, giacché l'esempio che proponi non è poi così esplicativo. Pensa, ad esempio a questa possibilità:_

Mamma: Oggi per pranzo ho fatto i fagioli.
Figlio: Mamma, che palle, i fagioli fanno schifo.
_
Ma sarebbe uguale anche con _Mamma, che palle i fagioli mi fanno schifo.
_


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## Odysseus54

Mr Guizzo sta sottolineando l'aspetto soggettivo, e piuttosto chiaramente.

In inglese la prima cosa che mi viene in mente e' : "I hate beans".  Oppure , di registro diverso, meno colloquiale : "I find beans disgusting".


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## Teerex51

Or _"beans turn my stomach"._


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## theartichoke

Or, somewhere in the register of _Mamma, che palle, i fagioli mi fanno schifo:

Beans gross me out!_


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## Odysseus54

theartichoke said:


> Or, somewhere in the register of _Mamma, che palle, i fagioli mi fanno schifo:
> 
> Beans gross me out!_


 

That's the best !!


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## Alessandrino

Odysseus54 said:


> Mr Guizzo sta sottolineando l'aspetto soggettivo, e piuttosto chiaramente.


Avevo completamente travisato la richiesta di Guizzo. Chiedo scusa.


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