אבוי
avoy/(ʔ)aˈvoi/
To say woe in Hebrew, use אבוי (avoy). Other words for the feeling are צער (tsa'ar) and יגון (yagon). If unsure, use אבוי.
Meaning: grief, sorrow, misery, heavy calamity (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| אבוי | avoy | /(ʔ)aˈvoi/ (Modern Israeli) | |
| צער | tsa'ar | /ˈt͡sa(ʔ)aʁ/ (Modern Israeli) /ˈt͡saʕaʁ/ (Modern Israeli) |
masculine |
| יגון | yagon | masculine |
אבוי is mostly used as an exclamation of woe. It often comes in the pattern woe to someone, as a dramatic or prophetic warning of calamity.
Which one should you use?
צער is the everyday noun for sorrow or grief. יגון means a deep, heavy and long lasting grief. Other cries of grief include אוֹי and וַי.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
צער and יגון are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /(ʔ)aˈvoi/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying אוי ואבוי loudly in a formal setting can sound overly dramatic or insincere.
Did you know?
- The common cry of grief אוֹי (oy) is the root of the famous Yiddish expression oy vey, which literally translates to 'oy woe'.
- In Hebrew, the word for sorrow צער (tsa'ar) shares a root with the word for 'narrow' or 'tight', suggesting that grief is a feeling of constriction.
- The exclamation אוֹי is an ancient Semitic interjection that is almost identical to many other ancient Near Eastern languages, showing how cries of sorrow have remained linguistically stagnant for millennia.
Examples in context
- אבוי למנוצחים!Woe to the conquered!אבוי opens this famous cry, woe to the conquered.Tatoeba #2098427 by Eldad, translation #432443 by jerom
- אבוי לרועה הצאן שינטוש את כבשיוWoe to the shepherd who abandons his sheep.Here אבוי warns of trouble for a shepherd who abandons his flock.
- לְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי, לְמִי מדונים (מִדְיָנִים). לְמִי שִׂיחַ, לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם, לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם? לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־ הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ.Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? Who hath contentions? who hath raving? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine, They that go to try mixed wine.In this verse from Proverbs, אוֹי and a vowel marked spelling of the same exclamation are the cries of those who linger over wine.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a terrible tragedy in the news.
- איתי Itayראית את החדשות? זה פשוט נורא.Ra'ita et ha-khadashot? Ze pashut nora.Did you see the news? It's just terrible.
- רוטם Rotemכן, אבוי למשפחה שאיבדה הכל.Ken, avoy la-mishpakha she-ibda hakol.Yes, woe to the family that lost everything.
- איתי Itayאיך הם ימשיכו מכאן?Eikh hem yamshikhu mikhan?How will they continue from here?
- רוטם Rotemאני מקווה שהם ימצאו נחמה.Ani mekava she-hem yimtza'u nekhama.I hope they find comfort.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woe” translations and entries אבוי, צער, יגון, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
