The Top 5 Instances Of “Ay!”

Recently I was having a conversation with my friend Tova and I began to tell her about the power of the non-verbal “ay.”

She did not believe me entirely, so challenged me to a duel of expressing the proper “ay” for every occasion. There’s surprise, disdain, elation, disgust and exhaustion among many more. I wanted to share the top five here, let me know which ones I missed.

I’ve found in my personal experience that these “ays” are mostly universal, and even if they do lose something in cultural translation, it’s not that hard to figure out (like Portuguese and Spanish, for example). Of course I’m perfectly willing to admit that these “ays” are influenced by my pocho culture, but if I missed any, I would love for you to let us know!

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD