Eyvah
/ejvah/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'oh no' is translated into Turkish as Eyvah.
Eyvah is used to express sudden alarm, realization of a mistake or a sense of impending trouble.
Meaning: exclamation of alarm (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ejvah/. The /j/ sound is like the [y] in 'yes', the /v/ sound is like the [v] in 'vase' and the /h/ sound is like the [h] in 'home'.
Did you know?
- There is a related concept in Turkish called yandım, which literally means 'I am burned' but is used as a dramatic 'oh no' when one is in deep trouble.
- The word Eyvah is actually a guest in the Turkish language, having traveled all the way from Classical Persian.
- While eyvah signals a mistake or disaster, Turkish speakers use a different word, tüh, for a smaller 'oh no' or 'darn' when something minor goes wrong.
Examples in context
- Eyvah, anahtarlarımı içeride unuttum!Oh no, I forgot my keys inside!
- Eyvah, treni kaçırıyoruz!Oh no, we are missing the train!
- Eyvah, her şey mahvoldu.Oh no, everything is ruined.
Example conversation
Mehmet and Zeynep are in the kitchen when they see a broken plate.
- MehmetEyvah, en sevdiğim tabak kırıldı!Oh no, my favorite plate is broken!
- ZeynepÜzülme Mehmet, yenisini alırız.Don't be sad Mehmet, we will buy a new one.
- MehmetAma bu çok özel bir hediyeydi.But this was a very special gift.
- ZeynepTamam, birlikte tamir etmeye çalışalım.Okay, let's try to fix it together.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eyvah, CC BY-SA 4.0.
