¿ah sí?
/ˈa ˈsi/word by word
The Spanish phrase for "is that so?" is ¿ah sí?
¿ah sí? is used to express interest or surprise after someone shares new information with you.
Which one should you use?
While ¿ah sí? generally expresses interest or surprise, using a falling intonation can change the tone to sound skeptical or dismissive, much like saying "Oh, really?" in a sarcastic way.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions of Spain, ¿De veras? is a common way for peers to express surprise or doubt in informal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈa ˈsi/
Did you know?
- The word sí in ¿ah sí? is a distant relative of the English word 'self', stemming from the same ancient roots that gave us the Latin 'sibi'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a raised eyebrow or a slight tilt of the head often accompanies ¿ah sí? to signal that the speaker is questioning the truth of the statement.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a simple ¿así? without the ah can also be used to ask 'Is it like that?', shifting the focus from your surprise to the method being described.
Examples in context
- ¿Ah sí? No lo sabía.Is that so? I didn't know that.
- ¿Ah sí? Qué interesante.Is that so? How interesting.
- ¿Ah sí? No me lo esperaba.Is that so? I wasn't expecting that.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking about a new job.
- SofíaMe dieron el puesto de gerente.I got the manager position.
- Daniel¿Ah sí? ¡Muchas felicidades, Sofía!Is that so? Congratulations, Sofía!
- SofíaGracias, Daniel. Empiezo el lunes.Thanks, Daniel. I start on Monday.
- DanielQué bueno. Me alegro mucho por ti.That's great. I'm very happy for you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ah, sí) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ah, sí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
