ôi không
[ʔoj˧˧ xəwŋ͡m˧˧]word by word
The English phrase "oh no" is translated into Vietnamese as ôi không.
Ôi không! is used as an exclamation to express sudden alarm, realization of a mistake or dismay.
Meaning: exclamation of alarm (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interjection ôi (oh) and the negation không (no/not).
What mistakes should you avoid?
A more common and natural exclamation for expressing shock or distress in Vietnamese is Ôi trời ơi rather than the literal ôi không.
Did you know?
- One theory suggests that the exclamation ôi shares an ancient root with words meaning 'putrid' or 'to stink' in the Mon and Khmer languages.
Examples in context
- Ôi không!Oh, no!This sentence shows how to use the exclamation ôi không.Tatoeba #13339716 by leucammieuvu, translation #1806256 by Spamster
- Ôi chết rồi. Thật là tệ!Oh no. That's really terrible!
- Ờ, chết mất! Không thể tin được.Oh no! I can't believe it.
- Thôi rồi, sao lại thế chứ.Oh no, how could that happen.
- Ôi không, tôi quên chìa khóa rồi!Oh no, I forgot my keys!
- Ôi không, trời sắp mưa rồi.Oh no, it is about to rain.
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are looking at a broken vase on the floor.
- LanÔi không, cái bình hoa bị vỡ rồi!Oh no, the vase is broken!
- MinhAnh xin lỗi, anh không cố ý.I am sorry, I didn't do it on purpose.
- LanMinh làm sao mà bất cẩn thế?How could you be so careless, Minh?
- MinhĐể anh đi dọn dẹp ngay.Let me go clean it up right away.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ôi, không) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries không, ôi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
