ups
/ˈubs/
The English phrase 'oop' can be translated into Spanish as ups.
ups is an exclamation used to acknowledge a small mistake or a minor accident.
Which one should you use?
While ups is used for mistakes or accidents, ¡Ay! is used to express sudden pain or a much more significant shock.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈubs/
Did you know?
- While ups is used for minor slips, Spanish has the specific word metida de pata to describe the actual act of making a social blunder or 'putting one's foot in it'.
- The use of ups is often considered 'childish' or 'cute' in formal settings, leading many adults to prefer the more mature vaya or perdón when making mistakes in professional environments.
- In Spanish, there is a linguistic distinction between ups for a mistake and ¡uy! for a near-miss, such as almost tripping but catching oneself.
Examples in context
- ¡Ay, disculpe!Oops, sorry!
- Disculpe, se me cayóOops, I dropped it.
- ¡Ups, se me escapó!Oops, it slipped!
- Ay, no, lo borréOops, I deleted it.
- Uy, casi me caigoOops, I almost fell.
- ¡Ups! Se me cayó la llave.Oops! I dropped my key.
- ¡Ups! Olvidé traer el libro.Oops! I forgot to bring the book.
- ¡Ups! Derramé un poco de agua.Oops! I spilled a little water.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are eating at a small cafe.
- Sofía¡Ups! He tirado mi servilleta al suelo.Oops! I dropped my napkin on the floor.
- JavierNo pasa nada, Sofía, yo la recojo.No problem, Sofía, I will pick it up.
- SofíaGracias, Javier, eres muy amable.Thanks, Javier, you are very kind.
- JavierDe nada, no te preocupes.You're welcome, don't worry about it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ups, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
