oh
/ˈo/
To say oh in Italian, as an expression of surprise, use oh.
oh shows surprise, sudden understanding or emotion, much as in English.
Meaning: expression of surprise (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /ˈo/, a pure o sound without the glide heard in English.
Did you know?
- A sharp oh! in Italian can function as a command to get someone's attention from a distance, which may sound aggressive to an English speaker who associates 'oh' with softness.
- The phrase oh mamma is used as a general exclamation of surprise or frustration, similar to 'oh boy' or 'oh my', even when the speaker is not thinking about their mother.
- The word oh is onomatopoeic and shares a common root with the Latin ō.
Examples in context
- Oh, è a casa!Oh, you're home!Oh expresses surprise at finding someone at home.Tatoeba #6315003 by Guybrush88, translation #6314761 by OsoHombre
- Tom! Oh mio Dio!Tom! Oh my God!Oh mio Dio means "oh my God".Tatoeba #3540984 by Guybrush88, translation #2807639 by Hybrid
- Oh, è lei, vero?Oh, it's you, is it?Oh here shows sudden recognition.Tatoeba #10905265 by Guybrush88, translation #10904892 by CM
- 290 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are at a café when they see a celebrity.
- FrancescoOh, guarda chi c'è!Oh, look who is there!
- SofiaNon ci credo, è vero?I don't believe it, is it true?
- FrancescoSì, è proprio lui!Yes, it is really him!
- SofiaChe sorpresa incredibile!What an incredible surprise!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
