What Are Interjections?
Interjections are words or phrases used to convey a speaker's emotional response to a situation, and can stand alone or be integrated into sentences. They’re often used with exclamation points or question marks.
Different types of interjections are used for various purposes, but we can sort them into two main categories—expressive interjections and appellative interjections.
Expressive Interjections
These interjections express feelings and emotions such as pain, relief, surprise, approval, etc. Expressive interjections can also be divided into the type of emotion they express:
Admiration, Surprise, and Disbelief
• ¡Vaya! Esa película fue espectacular. (Wow! That movie was spectacular.)
• ¡Caramba, qué sorpresa! (Goodness, what a surprise!)
• ¡Dios mío, te ves guapísima! (Oh my God, you look gorgeous!)
Confusion, Hesitation, and Annoyance
• ¿Eh? ¿Qué dijiste? (Huh? What did you say?)
• Hay un… este… problema. (There is a… uhm… problem.)
• Rayos, olvidé mi paraguas. (Shoot, I forgot my umbrella.)
Approval and Agreement
• ¿Puedo usar el baño? / ¡Por supuesto! (Can I use the bathroom? / Of course!)
• Vale, nos vemos a las cinco. (All right, see you at five.)
Rejection and Disagreement
• ¿Estas enojado? / Para nada. (Are you mad? / Not at all.)
• ¡Qué va! Ese tío nunca me ha gustado. (No way! I never liked that guy.)
Sensory Reactions
• ¡Auch, eso duele! (Ouch, that hurts!)
• ¡Uf! ¿Qué es ese olor? (Ugh! What is that smell?)
In addition, expressive interjections like "ah" and "oh" can express different emotions depending on the context:
• ¡Ay, me duele la cabeza! (Ouch, my head hurts!)
• ¡Ay no, perdí mi cartera! (Oh no, I lost my wallet!)
• ¡Oh, qué interesante! (Ooh, how interesting!)
• Oh, pobre niño… (Aw, poor boy …)
Appellative Interjections
Appellative interjections are directed at the listener to provoke an emotional response. They can also be sorted into smaller categories based on their usage:
Courtesy
• ¡Gracias, Jorge! / ¡De nada! (Thank you, Jorge! / You are welcome!)
• Perdón, se me hizo tarde. (Sorry, I’m late.)
• ¡Bienvenido! Disfrute su estancia. (Welcome! Enjoy your stay.)
Salutation and Farewell
• Hola, Arnold, buenos días. (Hello, Arnold, good morning.)
• ¡Adiós, Alma! / ¡Chao! (Bye, Alma! / Bye!)
Exhortation
• Adelante, cuéntenos su idea. (Go ahead, tell us your idea.)
• Oye, tenemos que hablar. (Listen, we have to talk.)
• ¡Atrás!, el edificio va a colapsar. (Stand back! The building is going to collapse.)
• Vamos, hay que seguir caminando. (Come on, we have to keep walking.)
