A small, simple cartoon character sitting down and clutching their foot, wincing in pain after accidentally stubbing their toe on a small wooden block.

ay

/eye/

InterjectionA1

ouch?expressing physical pain,ow?expressing physical pain

Also:oh?expressing surprise, sadness, or delight,alas?expressing sorrow, more literary

📝 In Action

¡Ay! Me quemé con la sopa.

Ouch! I burned myself with the soup.

¡Ay, qué pena que no puedas venir!

Oh, what a shame you can't come!

¡Ay, qué bonito es este vestido!

Oh, how beautiful this dress is!

¡Ay de mí! Todo me sale mal.

Woe is me! Everything goes wrong for me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

uy (oops, oh)

Common Collocations

¡Ay de mí! – Woe is me!
¡Ay, Dios mío! – Oh my God!

Idioms & Expressions

estar en un ay – To be in agony, on the verge of complaining, or in a very delicate state.

💡 Grammar Points

What's an Interjection?

Think of 'ay' as a short, standalone word that's all about emotion. You just say it! It doesn't need to connect to other words in a sentence. It works just like 'Ouch!', 'Wow!', or 'Oh!' in English.

❌ Common Pitfalls

The Classic Mix-up: Ay vs. Hay vs. Ahí

Mistake: "Cuando vi el precio, dije 'hay que caro'."

Correction: Cuando vi el precio, dije '¡ay, qué caro!'. Remember this trick: ¡Ay! is for an emotion (like an 'eye' crying). Hay is for 'there is/are' (from the verb haber). Ahí is for a place, 'there' (it has an 'h' and an 'i' for 'hither').

⭐ Usage Tips

More Than Just Pain

While '¡ay!' is perfect for when you stub your toe, you can also use it for surprise ('¡Ay, qué susto!'), sadness ('¡Ay, qué triste!'), or even delight ('¡Ay, qué lindo!'). The tone of your voice says it all.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ay

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'ay' to express a feeling?

📚 More Resources

Words that Rhyme with ay

hay rey

ley

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.