An interjection can voice a reaction before the speaker has built a clause: αχ, ωχ, μπα, όπα, ουφ. These forms are usually syntactically independent, and their meaning is a range rather than a fixed English gloss. Intonation, facial expression, and the situation decide whether πω πω means impressed “wow” or dismayed “oh no,” and whether μπράβο is warm praise or cutting irony.
This page owns the bare inventory. The conversational sequence—how a reaction acknowledges news, invites more detail, or receives a reply—belongs to expressing emotions and reactions.
A practical inventory
| Form | Frequent range | Register |
|---|---|---|
| πω πω | admiration, surprise, dismay, complaint | neutral conversation |
| αχ | longing, pleasure, sadness, pain, relief | neutral conversation |
| ωχ | sudden pain, alarm, recognition of trouble | neutral conversation |
| μπα | surprise, doubt, ironic denial | (informal) |
| όπα | surprise, warning to stop, dance encouragement | (informal) |
| άντε | encouragement, impatience, dismissal | (informal) |
| μπράβο | praise or ironic blame | neutral; irony is context-sensitive |
| αμάν | pleading, alarm, exasperation, distress | (informal) |
| έλεος | appeal for mercy; “enough!” | literal neutral; reaction (informal) |
| κρίμα | regret, pity, disappointment | neutral |
| ουφ | relief, tiredness, irritation | (informal) |
Πω πω: wonder or dismay
The standard spaced spelling πω πω is especially useful because the next phrase can point its emotion in opposite directions. Dictionaries also record variants such as πωπώ and πο πο, but consistent edited writing should choose one convention; this guide uses πω πω.
Πω πω, τι ωραία μυρίζει το ψωμί που έψησες!
po po, ti oréa mirízi to psomí pu épsises!
Wow, the bread you baked smells wonderful!
Πω πω, πλημμύρισε πάλι το υπόγειο από τη βροχή!
po po, plimírise páli to ipóyio apó ti vrochí!
Oh no, the basement flooded from the rain again!
No lexical switch from positive to negative has occurred. The following event and the speaker's delivery select admiration in the first line and dismay in the second.
Αχ and ωχ: sustained feeling versus sudden trouble
Αχ has a very wide emotional range: longing, tenderness, pleasure, sorrow, pain, relief, and wishes. It often feels like a released sigh. Ωχ more readily marks a sudden pain, alarm, forgotten obligation, or newly noticed problem. The spelling οχ is encountered in popular and fixed usage, but ωχ is the reliable edited default for this sudden-reaction interjection.
Αχ, να μπορούσαμε να μείνουμε άλλη μια μέρα στο νησί!
ach, na borúsame na mínume áli mia méra sto nisí!
Oh, if only we could stay another day on the island!
Ωχ, κάηκα στο ζεστό ταψί!
och, káika sto zestó tapsí!
Ow, I burned myself on the hot baking tray!
Ωχ, σήμερα έπρεπε να πάρω τηλέφωνο τον λογιστή!
och, símera éprepe na páro tiléfono ton loyistí!
Oh no, I was supposed to call the accountant today!
English oh covers both jobs, so learners need the Greek contrast in situations rather than as two dictionary translations.
Μπα and όπα: doubt, surprise, and stopping
Μπα! can react to unexpected appearance—“well, look who is here”—or express doubt and denial, often with a following rhetorical phrase. It is (informal) and highly intonation-dependent.
Μπα, ήρθες τόσο νωρίς σήμερα;
ba, írthes tóso norís símera;
Well, you came early today? (informal, surprised)
Μπα, πού τέτοια τύχη να βρούμε εισιτήρια τελευταία στιγμή!
ba, pu tétia tíchi na vrúme isitíria teleftéa stighmí!
No chance we'd be lucky enough to find tickets at the last minute! (informal)
Current dictionaries use όπα as the headword. Ώπα is also widespread in informal representation, but this page follows edited όπα. The interjection can celebrate a dance movement or interrupt motion and mean “whoa, stop.”
Όπα, πρόσεχε το σκαλοπάτι μπροστά σου!
ópa, próseche to skalopáti brostá su!
Whoa, watch the step in front of you! (informal)
Άντε: moving action forward—or pushing it away
Άντε can encourage someone, hurry a group along, express impatience, or dismiss a claim. The surrounding imperative, adverb, and tone often make the direction clear.
Άντε, δοκίμασέ το άλλη μια φορά, σχεδόν τα κατάφερες!
ánde, dhokímasé to áli mia forá, schedhón ta katáferes!
Come on, try it once more; you almost did it! (informal, encouraging)
Άντε τώρα, δεν πιστεύω ούτε λέξη απ' αυτή την ιστορία!
ánde tóra, dhen pistévo úte léksi ap' aftí tin istoría!
Oh, come off it; I don't believe a word of that story! (informal, dismissive)
The second is not a literal command to walk somewhere. A clipped or strongly stressed delivery pushes the preceding idea away.
Μπράβο: praise and irony
Sincere μπράβο recognizes achievement. With a critical context and different intonation, the identical word can blame someone for a predictable mistake.
Μπράβο, Ελένη, η παρουσίασή σου ήταν ξεκάθαρη και σύντομη!
brávo, Eléni, i parusíasí su ítan ksekáthari ke síndomi!
Well done, Eleni; your presentation was clear and concise!
Μπράβο, άφησες πάλι ανοιχτό το ψυγείο όλη νύχτα!
brávo, áfises páli anichtó to psiyío óli níchta!
Great, you left the refrigerator open all night again! (ironic)
Writing ! does not encode which reading is intended. The proposition and conversational history do most of the work; voice quality confirms it.
Αμάν, έλεος, κρίμα, ουφ
Αμάν intensifies pleading, distress, fear, or exasperation. Αμάν πια! is a conventional irritated “enough already.” Έλεος literally means “mercy,” but as a standalone reaction it often demands that something excessive stop. Both are strong (informal) reactions in that use.
Αμάν πια, χαμήλωσε λίγο τη μουσική, είναι περασμένα μεσάνυχτα!
amán pia, chamílose lígho ti musikí, íne perazména mesánichta!
Enough already, turn the music down; it's after midnight! (informal)
Έλεος, τρίτη φορά αλλάζουν την ώρα της συνάντησης!
éleos, tríti forá alázun tin óra tis sinándisis!
For goodness' sake, this is the third time they've changed the meeting time! (informal)
Κρίμα evaluates an outcome as regrettable and is usually less aggressive. Ουφ releases breath after effort or danger, but can equally mark fatigue or irritation.
Κρίμα, δεν θα προλάβω να σε δω πριν φύγεις!
kríma, dhen tha prolávo na se dho prin fíyis!
What a pity; I won't manage to see you before you leave!
Ουφ, τελειώσαμε επιτέλους με όλα τα κουτιά!
uf, teliósame epitélus me óla ta kutiá!
Phew, we finally finished with all the boxes! (informal, relieved)
Ουφ, πάλι κόλλησε ο υπολογιστής στη μέση της δουλειάς!
uf, páli kólise o ipoloyistís sti mési tis dhuliás!
Ugh, the computer froze again in the middle of my work! (informal, irritated)
Where μπρε belongs
Μπρε is a marked (regional/folk) variant associated with address-particle μωρέ, not a neutral synonym for every emotional interjection. Learners should recognize it in songs, dialectal dialogue, and stylized speech, but should not insert it into general Standard Greek by mechanical substitution. Its family belongs with ρε, βρε, μωρέ.
Common Mistakes
Writing the current headword as ώπα in edited prose
✅ Όπα, σταμάτα λίγο να δούμε τον χάρτη!
ópa, stamáta lígho na dhúme ton chárti!
Whoa, stop a moment so we can look at the map! (edited spelling used here)
Ώπα is encountered, especially in informal writing; the point is consistency, not declaring recognizable variation ungrammatical.
Treating αχ and ωχ as fully interchangeable
✅ Αχ, πόσο μου έλειψε αυτή η θάλασσα!
ach, póso mu élipse aftí i thálasa!
Oh, how I missed this sea! (longing)
✅ Ωχ, μου έπεσε το ποτήρι από το χέρι!
och, mu épese to potíri apó to chéri!
Oh no, I dropped the glass! (sudden mishap)
Assuming μπράβο always praises
The form is grammatical in both readings. Interpret it from the following proposition and the delivery rather than from the word alone.
✅ Μπράβο, επιτέλους θυμήθηκες μόνος σου την επέτειο!
brávo, epitélus thimíthikes mónos su tin epétio!
Well done, you finally remembered the anniversary on your own! (sincere or teasing depending on delivery)
Key Takeaways
- Interjections are independent reactions whose exact force comes from context and intonation.
- Πω πω, αχ, ωχ, μπα, όπα, άντε, μπράβο, αμάν, έλεος, κρίμα, ουφ each cover a range, not one English word.
- This guide uses dictionary-headword όπα and edited ωχ while acknowledging informal spelling variation.
- Several forms can flip between positive and negative stances without changing their segmental form.
- Μπρε is a marked regional/folk address form and belongs with μωρέ, not in the neutral core inventory.
Related Topics
- Expressing Emotions and ReactionsA2 — Build natural Greek reaction moves for joy, surprise, annoyance, sympathy, relief, and enthusiasm, including the follow-up each response invites.
- The Address Particles ρε / βρε / μωρέB2 — Use ρε, βρε, and μωρέ as relationship-sensitive spoken address particles whose warmth, insistence, or aggression depends on stance and context.