oh nein
/oː naɪ̯n/word by word
The English phrase "oh no" is expressed in German as oh nein. Wiktionary also lists ach nein.
Meaning: exclamation of alarm (intj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| oh nein | /oː naɪ̯n/ (word by word) |
| ach nein | /ax naɪ̯n/ (word by word) |
Both oh nein and ach nein are exclamations used to express alarm.
How do you pronounce it?
/oː naɪ̯n/
Did you know?
- In some German dialects, a long ach can actually signal a positive feeling of longing or nostalgia, rather than the alarm found in ach nein.
- The word nein shares a common ancestor with the English word 'none', both stemming from an ancient way of saying 'not one'.
- In sarcastic contexts, Germans may elongate the vowels in oh neeein to signal that the 'tragedy' is actually trivial or funny.
Examples in context
- Oh nein, sie schon wieder!Oh no, it's her again.This sentence shows how to use oh nein.Tatoeba #4382497 by brauchinet, translation #4381906 by Hybrid
- Oh nein! Hast du dich in mich verliebt?Oh no! Have you fallen in love with me?This sentence uses oh nein.Tatoeba #13401208 by canan, translation #10516247 by maaster
- Oh nein.Oh no.This sentence provides a simple example of the standalone exclamation oh nein.Tatoeba #10101697 by wolfgangth, translation #8242869 by josivangoncalves
- Ach du meine Güte! Das ist wirklich schade.Oh my goodness! That is really a shame.
- Na toll! Wie ärgerlich!Great! How annoying!
- Mensch! Ich habe total versagt.Gosh! I totally failed.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Hannah are looking at a broken vase on the floor.
- FelixOh nein, die Vase ist kaputt!Oh no, the vase is broken!
- HannahOh nein, das war ein Geschenk!Oh no, that was a gift!
- FelixTut mir leid, Hannah.I am sorry, Hannah.
- HannahDas ist wirklich sehr schade.That is really a shame.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oh no” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (oh, nein, ach) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ach, nein, oh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
