How to say ow

August 30, 2006 10:25 AM

Let's say I stub my toe. In English, I might say "ow" or "ouch." In Portuguese, "ai." What are (polite) exclamations of pain in other languages? Pronunciation guidance appreciated!
posted by dmo to writing & language (40 answers total)

In Japanese, "itai!" (pronounced e-tie)
posted by knave at 10:31 AM on August 30, 2006

German: Ach!
posted by saladin at 10:31 AM on August 30, 2006

German: Aua! ("Ach" is more like "Oh well")
posted by snownoid at 10:38 AM on August 30, 2006

ay carumba (spanish) ?
oy vey (yiddish) ?
posted by clh at 10:40 AM on August 30, 2006

Dutch: Auw!
posted by snownoid at 10:43 AM on August 30, 2006

I would say "y huela" which apparently translates to "and it smells" but I don't know if that's so much a Spanish Mexican or a northern New Mexican idiomatic phrase.
posted by sugarfish at 10:46 AM on August 30, 2006

French: Aïe!
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:48 AM on August 30, 2006

I've yet to meet a native Spanish speaker that says "ay carumba". When I've said it in Mexico people laugh at me and say "Bart Simpson". Maybe it is used in Latin America or Spain.

People in Mexico, at least, will say just "ay" and sometimes I've head "caray".
posted by birdherder at 10:49 AM on August 30, 2006

Speaking of Simpsons..
"D'oh!"
posted by jozxyqk at 10:50 AM on August 30, 2006

A related post in the Blue.
posted by bshort at 10:51 AM on August 30, 2006

"Ow" or "ouch?"

Most American English speakers that I know of would say "F***"

Second the "ay" in Spanish.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 10:52 AM on August 30, 2006

Mongols might say "hoy" or "ya"

Chinese might say "aiya"
posted by thirteenkiller at 10:54 AM on August 30, 2006

You other English speakers actually say "ow"? Huh. The sound that comes out of my mouth when I stub my toe is more like aie.
posted by desuetude at 11:02 AM on August 30, 2006

i'm an expert on this outcry in italiano: aiya

phonetically it is pronounced, "eye-ah" with a hard stress on the "eye" part.
posted by naxosaxur at 11:08 AM on August 30, 2006

"Aray" (uh-rye) in Tagalog.
posted by brownpau at 11:26 AM on August 30, 2006

Ay-oye in Quebec French.
posted by zadcat at 11:48 AM on August 30, 2006

"Auē!" in Hawaiian (though this is just as much an exclamation as it is a general expression of disapproval or disgust). "Aw-eh," flowing with emphasis on the last vowel sound.
posted by pzarquon at 11:54 AM on August 30, 2006

Arabic "ai" or "akh"
posted by convex at 12:00 PM on August 30, 2006

Twi - Agyei (adjaye)
Fante - Agyish (adjish)
posted by ramix at 12:14 PM on August 30, 2006

Shazbot, in Orkan.
posted by grateful at 12:16 PM on August 30, 2006

Feck! (Irish)
posted by Chorus at 12:34 PM on August 30, 2006

Ffffffffffffbuggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbugger
(while hopping)
posted by itsjustanalias at 12:50 PM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]

Godverdoeme, d'er zit een bijl in mijnen kop.
posted by jammer at 12:51 PM on August 30, 2006

Yiddish would probably just be "oy."
posted by idledebonair at 12:53 PM on August 30, 2006

grateful, that's shazbat.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:34 PM on August 30, 2006

"Opaio" in Korean
posted by brina at 3:13 PM on August 30, 2006

Norwegian: "Au!"
posted by edlundart at 3:17 PM on August 30, 2006

Russian: from what I can tell probably 'блядь' (pron. blyad', 'whore') by men in the company of other men, 'чёрт' (chort, 'devil') otherwise. Also 'Ooy' or 'Oy' (esp. older women).
posted by claudius at 3:29 PM on August 30, 2006

Russian: "Ой!" ("Oy!"), once or multiple times.
posted by rob511 at 3:30 PM on August 30, 2006

Ama! (Pronounced UmAh) in Telegu (South Indian language). Also means mother, and the sound that calfs make when they're scared and want their mother. It's a very useful word.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 5:24 PM on August 30, 2006

"ay carumba" does not exist. The real word is "caramba", and it's like saying "geez".

sugarfish, would it be "ay güey" (pronounced "i way")? It is a mildly rude expression from Mexico.
posted by clearlydemon at 8:14 PM on August 30, 2006

Swedish "aj!" Soft-j, so more like "y" in yiddish.
posted by lundman at 10:18 PM on August 30, 2006

Korean: 'aiya' for sudden pain, 'aigo' for more longsuffered, sitting-down-when-your-back-is-sore kinda pain.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:45 PM on August 30, 2006

Finnish: Ai, Au, Auts.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:03 AM on August 31, 2006

Ahem.

Shazbot (google search) returns 98,800 results.
Shazbat (google search) returns 847 results.

Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
posted by grateful at 10:48 AM on August 31, 2006

Aaaaaaaaaah!!... shssssssssss..!
posted by LordSludge at 11:56 AM on August 31, 2006

"aiya" for Chinese people (at least Malaysian/Singaporean Chinese) has more of a "oh, geez" connontation.

Malay: Adoi! (rhymes with koi)
posted by divabat at 5:05 PM on August 31, 2006

My Chinese person claims that she says, "Aiyou!" (That's in Pinyin; sounds to me like "Aiyoh!")
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:06 AM on September 1, 2006

clearlydemon, I don't think so... "huela" definitely has two syllables and I know I'm saying "y" correctly. I don't doubt that it's mildly rude, though. :)
posted by sugarfish at 8:45 AM on September 1, 2006

ah tsa in Tibetan for pain or if you touch something hot. A choo (seriously) if you touch something cold.
Ah ma ma... means something like... oh lawdy.
posted by AArtaud at 12:35 AM on September 2, 2006