oái

Oái! Cô bé vừa đập ngón chân vào chân bàn.

Definition

1. Interjection:

   • An exclamation of sudden pain: A sharp, spontaneous cry uttered when experiencing unexpected physical pain, such as from a pinch, bump, or minor injury.
   • An exclamation of surprise or alarm: A cry expressing sudden fright, shock, or dismay.

2. Verb:

   • To let out a sharp cry (of pain or surprise): The act of exclaiming "oái" or a similar sharp sound in reaction to pain or a startling event.

Usage Examples

• Interjection:

  • Oái! Tôi vừa đập tay vào cửa. (Ouch! I just hit my hand on the door.)
  • Oái! Con gián! (Yikes! A cockroach!)

• Verb:

  • Cô bé oái lên khi bị kim đâm. (The girl yelped when the needle pricked her.)
  • Nghe tiếng nổ, mọi người đều oái lên. (Hearing the bang, everyone cried out in alarm.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is often reduplicated as "oái oái" to indicate repeated or continuous crying out, intensifying the sense of distress or commotion.
  • Đứa trẻ khóc oái oái. (The child was wailing loudly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kêu oái (v): to yelp, to cry out.
  • Nó kêu oái một tiếng rồi khóc. (He yelped once and then cried.)

Synonyms

• Ouch: an exclamation of pain.
• Yelp: a short, sharp cry, especially of pain.
• Yikes: an exclamation of surprise or alarm.

Related Idioms

• Oái ăm: (descriptive) a state of noisy distress or uproar, often involving multiple cries.
  • Cả phòng oái ăm lên vì sự cố. (The whole room erupted in a distressed uproar because of the incident.)