哎呀
āiyā, āiyá
In Chinese, the English phrase "oops" is expressed as 哎呀 (āiyā, āiyá). Wiktionary also lists 啊哈 (āhā).
Meaning: acknowledging a minor mistake (intj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 哎呀 | āiyā, āiyá |
| 啊哈 | āhā |
The interjection 哎呀 is used in casual contexts to express surprise, frustration or regret. While 哎呀 acknowledges a mistake, you might also use 糟糕 to express dissatisfaction or mild panic after making a mistake or 不好意思 to express embarrassment or a mild apology.
Which one should you use?
While 哎呀 expresses a mistake or mishap, 啊哈 is used to express a sudden realization or discovery, similar to "aha!" or "eureka!"
How do you pronounce it?
āiyā, āiyá
Did you know?
- While 哎呀 often means 'oops', it can also be used as a playful or flirtatious expression of modesty when receiving a compliment.
- While 'oops' in English is almost always a reaction to a mistake, 哎呀 is frequently used as an exclamation of wonder or admiration when seeing something beautiful.
- Unlike 'oops', which is almost always a reaction to a mistake, 哎呀 can be used proactively to express impatience or annoyance with another person.
Examples in context
- 哎呀，我们好像忘了汤姆。Oops, I think we forgot Tom.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 哎呀 when realizing someone has been forgotten.Tatoeba #6682930 by basilhan, translation #2475756 by Hybrid
- 哎呀- 我忘了我的藥。Oops – I forgot my medicine.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 哎呀 when remembering a missed task like medicine.Tatoeba #781473 by Martha, translation #7782292 by sharris123
- 对不起!Oops, sorry!
- 哎呀，真糟糕！(āi yā, zhēn zāo gāo!)Oops, that's a mess!
- 不好意思啊！(bù hǎo yì si ā!)Oops, my bad!
- 哎呀，我把钥匙弄丢了。Āiyā, wǒ bǎ yàoshi nòng diū le.Oops, I lost my keys.
Example conversation
At home, Hao Ran accidentally knocks over a glass of water.
- 浩然 Haoran哎呀，水洒了。Āiyā, shuǐ sǎ le.Oops, I spilled the water.
- 雨婷 Yuting没关系，我来擦吧。Méiguānxì, wǒ lái cā ba.It's okay, I'll wipe it up.
- 浩然 Haoran对不起，雨婷。Duìbuqǐ, Yǔtíng.I am sorry, Yu Ting.
- 雨婷 Yuting别担心，浩然。Bié dānxīn, Hàorán.Don't worry, Hao Ran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oops” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
