Spaniards use countless interjections and onomatopoeia in daily talk. If you don’t speak Spanish well but want to pass yourself off as ‘a good listener’, these monosyllables and very short words will help you blend in.
¡Bah!
Used to express indifference or disdain.
Example: ¡Bah! Me da igual. Meh! I don’t care.
¡Puf!
Used to express concern or worry.
Example: ¡Puf! No encuentro mi móvil. Damn! I can’t find my phone.
¡Uy!
Similar to ‘puf’ but used when something bad has happened or is about to happen. The more ‘uys’, the worse the problem is.
Example: ¡Uy, uy, uy! Esa casa está en llamas. Oh, Oh! That house is on fire.
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¿Eh?
A more unrefined way of expressing that you haven’t heard what someone has said or you haven’t understood something.
Example: ¿Eh? ¿Qué dices? What? What did you say?
¡Ay!
Used to express physical pain or sorrow.
Example: ¡Ay! ¡Me duele! Ouch! It hurts!
¡Eh!
Used to get somebody’s attention in an unfriendly way.
Example: ¡Eh, tú! Dame un cigarro. Oi, you! Give me a cigarette!
¡Ey!
An informal greeting, friendlier than ‘eh’, probably derived from ‘hey’ in English.
Example: Ey! ¿Cómo estás? Hey, how are you?
¡Puaj!
A way of expressing disgust for something.
Example: Puaj! ¡Qué asco!. Yuck! That’s disgusting!
¡Guay!
The Spanish way of saying you think something is cool or that you agree with it.
Example: ¿Así que vamos a la playa? ¡Guay! So we’re going to the beach? Cool!
¡Pum!
Onomatopoeia used to describe a hard hit.
Example: Cogió el balón y pum! Gol! He got the ball and bang! Goal!
¡Zas!
Similar to ‘pum’ but used when the hit is unexpected, an act of karma or vengeance. ‘Zasca’ is also used.
Example: Y de repente – ¡zas! – en toda la boca. And all of sudden – pow! – right on the kisser.
¡Hala!
It’s used in a slightly condescending manner when somebody puts their foot in it.
Example: ¡Hala! ¿Pero qué demonios haces? Here we go! What the hell are you doing?
¡Epa!
Used when somebody slips or bumps into something, or almost does. In the Basque Country it’s often used to greet someone as well.
Example: ¡Epa! ¡Casi me caigo! Oops! I nearly fell over.
¡Olé!
Perhaps the most quintessential Spanish word there is, it’s commonly associated with praising bullfighters every time they dodge the animal, but it’s used in everyday speech to commend someone or something.
Example: ¡Olé, que arte! Bravo, beautifully done!
