aai1 jo1哎唷
Jyutpingaai1 jo1
Yaleāai yō
Definition
Ow or ouch; an interjection expressing pain, surprise, dismay, or Schadenfreude.
- ow; ouch; exclamation used to express pain or dismay at an accident
- slangsarcastic exclamation used to express pleasure at another's misfortune
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Expresses a sudden reaction to physical pain or a minor mishap. While often interchangeable with 哎呀, this variant carries a slightly more dramatic or sharp tone, making it common when someone is startled by a sudden sting or a clumsy mistake.
Examples
Ouch, I scraped my knee!
Oh dear, why are you so careless?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 哎呀, which is a more versatile exclamation for general surprise or annoyance. Using 哎唷 when you are merely surprised by news rather than reacting to physical pain or a blunder can sound overly theatrical.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
