ay
“ay” means “ouch” in Spanish (expressing physical pain).
ouch, ow
Also: oh, alas
📝 In Action
¡Ay! Me quemé con la sopa.
A1Ouch! I burned myself with the soup.
¡Ay, qué pena que no puedas venir!
A2Oh, what a shame you can't come!
¡Ay, qué bonito es este vestido!
A1Oh, how beautiful this dress is!
¡Ay de mí! Todo me sale mal.
B1Woe is me! Everything goes wrong for me.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ay
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'ay' to express a feeling?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
This word comes from a natural, spontaneous sound people make to express a sudden feeling like pain or surprise. It's an 'onomatopoeia,' meaning the word sounds like the thing it describes. It's so basic to human emotion that similar-sounding words exist in many languages.
First recorded: Ancient
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between '¡ay!', '¡uy!', and '¡huy!'?
'¡Ay!' is the most common and is used for strong emotions like pain, sadness, or big surprise ('Ouch! Oh no!'). '¡Uy!' (sometimes spelled '¡huy!') is usually for a smaller surprise, a near-miss, or a slight mistake, more like 'Oops!' or 'Whoa!'. If you almost drop a glass, you'd probably say '¡Uy!'.
Do I always need exclamation points around 'ay'?
Yes, in proper writing, you should always use opening (¡) and closing (!) exclamation points to show it's an exclamation of emotion. In informal texting, people might just write 'ay', but it's best to learn the correct way.