ah, vale
/ˈa ˈbale/word by word
In Spanish, "oh, ok" is expressed as ah, vale.
The expression is used to acknowledge that you have understood or accepted a piece of information.
Which one should you use?
While ah, vale is a very common, conversational way to acknowledge information, ah, está bien is slightly more formal or used to express agreement with a situation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase ah, vale is the standard way to express "oh, ok" in Spain.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈa ˈbale/
Did you know?
- While vale is common in Spain, using it in many Latin American countries may cause confusion, as it can be mistaken for the word for 'voucher' or 'coupon'.
- The word vale is a descendant of the Latin valē, which was originally a formal way to say 'be well' or 'goodbye'.
- In Spain, vale is used so frequently as a filler word that it can function like the English 'like' or 'you know' in the middle of a sentence.
Examples in context
- ¿Quedamos a las 8 en el café? / Vale. Nos vemos allí.Shall we meet at 8 at the café? / Ok. See you there.
- Te veo en el cine a las 7 pm. / Está bien. ¡Hasta luego!I'll see you at the cinema at 7 pm. / That's fine. See you later!
- Ah, vale, lo entiendo.Oh, ok, I understand.
- Ah, vale, gracias por avisar.Oh, ok, thanks for letting me know.
- Ah, vale, nos vemos mañana.Oh, ok, see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Daniel tells María that the meeting has been moved to 3 PM.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿sabes a qué hora es la reunión?Daniel, do you know what time the meeting is?
- DanielEs a las tres de la tarde.It is at three in the afternoon.
- MaríaAh, vale, gracias.Oh, ok, thanks.
- DanielDe nada, María.You're welcome, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ah, vale) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ah, vale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
