juhu
/juˈhuː/
The German word for 'yay' is juhu.
juhu is an expression used to communicate happiness.
Meaning: an expression of happiness (intj)
Which one should you use?
The informal expression Geil! can also be used to convey high levels of excitement.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, the phrase Oans, zwoa, gsuffa! is used as an exclamation for informal celebrations, meaning 'one, two, drink up!'
How do you pronounce it?
/juˈhuː/
Did you know?
- In traditional Alpine hunting, a similar sounding call called the Juchzer is used as a loud, high-pitched yodel to signal joy or presence in the mountains.
- Using juhu in a professional setting is seen as 'kindlich', a term that translates to 'childlike' but carries a stronger nuance of immaturity than the English 'childlike'.
- Unlike the relatively short English 'yay', a German speaker will often elongate the 'u' sounds in juhu to signal how intense their happiness actually is.
Examples in context
- Juhu!Yay!This sentence shows how to use juhu as an exclamation of excitement.Tatoeba #13414982 by Adelpa, translation #11627114 by shekitten
- Juhu, endlich Wochenende!Yay, finally the weekend!
- Juhu, wir haben gewonnen!Yay, we won!
Example conversation
Julia tells Julian that they can go to the cinema.
- JuliaWir können heute ins Kino gehen!We can go to the cinema today!
- JulianJuhu, ich freue mich sehr!Yay, I'm really looking forward to it!
- JuliaWelchen Film möchtest du sehen?Which movie do you want to see?
- JulianLass uns den neuen Actionfilm schauen.Let's watch the new action movie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yay” translations and entries juhu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
