Interjections

[Lesley D]

Last year I introduced this daily column in the Miami Herald, Bien Dicho which has proven to be very helpful indeed with its grammar tips about Spanish. I read it everyday and find most of the information a valuable reminder of grammar concepts that sometimes can be overlooked or even forgotten. Anyway today's tip is a review of Interjections.

What is an interjection?

1. the act of uttering exclamations

2. an utterance usually lacking grammatical connection as a) : a word or phrase used in exclamation (as Heavens! Dear me!) b) : a cry or inarticulate utterance (as Alas! ouch! ugh!) expressing an emotion

Source: Merriamwebster Dictionary


Here is a list of common interjections in Spanish divided into categories:


Posted on Mon, Apr. 17, 2006

BIEN DICHO

Las interjecciones pueden ser palabras solas o grupos de palabras. Ejemplos:

¡ay!, ¡oh!, ¡cielos!

¡Hay que ver!, ¡Qué va! ¡Vaya por Dios!

Constituyen enunciados exclamativos y no desempeñan ninguna función en la oración. Tampoco relacionan elementos entre sí.

Pueden ser de diferentes tipos.

Imitativas: se forman tratando de imitar ruidos, como ¡zas!, ¡cataplum!, ¡plaf! (imitation of sounds)

Expresivas: sirven para exteriorizar sentimientos: ¡ay!, ¡ah!, ¡uf! (to express feelings)

Apelativas: se usan para llamar la atención de interlocutores o receptores:

¡eh!, ¡psss! ( to get someone's attention)

Formularias: constituyen fórmulas de saludo: (a greeting)

¡adiós!, ¡gracias!, ¡hola!

_______________________

As insignificant as these words may seem, one has to know them because they differ from language to language. Using English interjections in Spanish and vice versa is quite odd.

This list provided by the Miami Herald today are just some common everyday interjections. Of course there are more. Other than grammar books providing a list, children's story books in Spanish are full of interjections, TV shows etc. All are a form of expression depending on which ones are used in children's story books etc. to provide added effect to a theme, situation etc.

Please note the spelling of AY (interjection) and HAY (impersonal form of the verb Haber). These forms are not interchangeable.



-LDG.

[macocael]

Under the first group, I assume we can include:

¡rayos!
¡vaya!
¡por dios!
¡ay mi madre!


Do expressions of disgust also factor in here? For example:

¡guacala! or ¡guaquela! (I have no idea how to spell this one and cannot find it in my dictionary, but it is a common Dominican exclamation of disgust. Could it be Taino in origin?)

[juancarlos]

I don't know the origin, but Mexicans use it a lot. Not Cubans though. Guácala is the way I have always seen it written, just the way it sounds. I did not know Dominicans used it, I thought they had borrowed it from the Mexicans.

[Lesley D]

The correct spelling is as Juancarlos indicated and agreed not only Dominicans use the expression. It is originally Mexican but Chilenos use it as well as a few other countries in the same connotation of disgust or "asco". I am always hesitant to guess the origin of words in Latin America because as I noted in the thread titled América Latina the diversity of indigenous languages is to be noted and there are common "root" words as well. Guaca is actually a word.

The root "gua" can be found in many words in Spanish such as guateque, guacamole, Guadalajara, guagua, guapo, guante, guardar etc. Just by looking at my examples I believe the root "gua" is of Arabic origin more than anything else.

Interjections are country specific however, many are quite universal as well. Macocael, don't worry about grouping them into categories as the article did. I think it was done just to show that there are a range of interjections in different scenarios that can be used.

Here are a few common ones in the Spanish speaking world that I usually hear and/or use (not country or region specific):

-¡Ave María!
-¡Ay, bendito!- PR.
-Andale!- Mex.
-¡Caray!
- ¡Caramba!
-¡Ay, caramba!
-¡Ojo!
-¡Basta!
-¡Ánimo!
- ¡Oye!
- ¡Cuidado!

There are many more. I am leaving room for others to contribute.


-LDG.

[Celt202]

Originally Posted by Lesley D

Apelativas: se usan para llamar la atención de interlocutores o receptores:

¡eh!, ¡psss! ( to get someone's attention)

-LDG.

¡gue! pronounced like the English 'way' I have the impression that this is more common among poor people.

[Chirimoya]

Exclamations used here include 'ofréscome', 'carajo', ('caramba', 'caray'), 'coño', ('conchole'), 'diablo', ('diache', 'diantre'), 'ay dios'.

Words in brackets = politer versions of stronger expressions, like 'damn' ('darn'), 'hell' ('heck') in English.

Not all are exclusively Dominican.

[macocael]

Conchole is something I hear all the time, forgot to add that to my list. But is it Conchole or Conchale? (o or a?)

I always liked Guacala, because it just sounds so much like disgust! I assume that it is not to be used at the dinner table!?

I have never heard "ofréscome" -- when is that used?

Course, we are forgetting the ever useful "¡maldicion!"

[Lesley D]

'Cónchale' is the correct expression. Macocael you have hang out with some Venezuelans. That's one of their favorite interjections. Along with ¡chévere!

Here's another one :

Ché or Che- from Argentina and in general Río Platense. This interjection is commonly used at the beginning of a sentence.


-LDG.

[Chirimoya]

I first heard it as 'conchale' (in Vz as it happens) but here I hear people saying 'conchole'.

Macocael, 'ofréscome' or 'ofrézcome' is an expression of surprise. I hear it all the time. I can't work out what it means, though.

Celt, I think 'gue' or 'guey' is Mexican, possibly Central American too.

In Central America the expletive of choice is 'puta'/'la gran puta' and sometimes even 'las cien mil putas'. The modified version for politer company is 'puchica'/'la gran puchica'.

What about 'hijole'?

[juancarlos]

Another one, used in western Cuba, is ¡Alabao! or ¡Alabado sea Dios! in its complete form. It used to show surprise, sadness, shock, sarcasm, depending on the situation. In the rest of Cuba they usually say ¡Ave María! to express the same feelings.

Regarding the "ofrézcome" used in DR, I would guess it is probably the begining of a Catholic short prayer as in, Ofrézcome Señor.. and then it became something similar to the Alabao used in Cuba.