oye Alexa
/oʝe aleɡsa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "hey alexa" is translated into Spanish as oye Alexa.
Oye Alexa is the localized Spanish equivalent of the English wake word "hey Alexa", used to activate the Amazon Alexa virtual assistant. In informal Spanish contexts, you may also use the English phrase "Hey Alexa".
What does it mean word for word?
The word oye is the imperative form of the verb oír (to hear), which literally means "listen" or "hear".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word oye is the informal imperative (tú form) of the verb oír.
How do you pronounce it?
/oʝe aleɡsa/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, using oye can sound quite blunt or even rude if you do not follow it with a polite particle, whereas in English 'hey' is a standard, neutral wake word.
- Depending on the regional Spanish setting, the 'y' sound in oye can range from a soft 'y' to a strong 'j' sound. In some parts of Argentina or Uruguay, it sounds more like oje, which can change the perceived intensity of the wake word.
- While oye is the command to 'hear', using it to get someone's attention is a conversational filler similar to the English 'listen' or 'look'. In some Spanish dialects, it can be used as a punctuation mark to start a new topic of conversation.
Examples in context
- Hola Alexa, ¿qué tiempo hace hoy?Hello Alexa, what's the weather like today?
- Oye, Alexa, pon música pop.Hey Alexa, play pop music.
- Oye Alexa, pon música de jazz.Hey Alexa, play some jazz music.
- ¿Puedes decir, "Oye Alexa", para que funcione?Can you say, "Hey Alexa", so it works?
- Oye Alexa, ¿qué hora es?Hey Alexa, what time is it?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are in the living room trying to use a smart speaker.
- AlejandroOye Alexa, ¿me puedes ayudar?Hey Alexa, can you help me?
- LucíaNo te hace caso, Alejandro.She is not listening to you, Alejandro.
- AlejandroEs que tengo que decir: "Oye Alexa".It's just that I have to say: "Hey Alexa".
- LucíaAh, ya entiendo.Ah, I see.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
