🔍 In short. Italian interjections are the little words that carry pure emotion: uffa (ugh, what a bore), mah (hmm, who knows), boh (no idea), dai (come on), magari! (if only!). They are invariable, sit outside the grammar of the sentence, and almost always end on an exclamation mark. They split into two families: primary ones that exist only as interjections (uffa, ahi, eh) and secondary ones borrowed from ordinary words (basta!, bravo!, peccato!). This guide covers the most useful italian interjections and the feeling behind each.
You will not find italian interjections in a verb table, yet they are everywhere in real speech. Get a dozen right and your spoken Italian instantly sounds less like a textbook and more like a person.
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👆🏻 Jump to section
- What an interjection is
- Primary interjections: uffa, mah, ahi
- Secondary ones: basta, bravo, peccato
- Uffa: boredom and “enough!”
- Mah, boh, beh: doubt and shrug
- Dai, su, forza, coraggio
- Magari, accidenti, ahimè
- Toh, ehm, ahò: more sounds
- Interjection phrases: ma va, figurati
- Speech or writing?
- Common mistakes English speakers make
- Dialog: at the Lucca newsstand
- Cheat sheet: every interjection
- Mini-challenge
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What an interjection is
Stand in line at a busy newsstand in Lucca and you will hear italian interjections before you hear a full sentence: someone sighs uffa, someone else shrugs boh. An interjection is an invariable word thrown into speech to express a sudden feeling. It does not change for gender or number, it is not tied to the sentence around it, and it almost always lands on an exclamation mark.
The name comes from Latin for “to throw in the middle”, which is exactly how italian interjections behave: they interrupt, they react, they carry tone rather than information. They divide into two clean groups, and once you see the split the whole topic gets simple.
🔍 Two families. Primary italian interjections exist only as interjections (uffa, mah, ahi, eh). Secondary ones are ordinary words pressed into the job (basta!, bravo!, peccato!). Same exclamation power, different origin.
Primary interjections: uffa, mah, ahi
Primary italian interjections are single words that do nothing else: their only job is to express emotion. They have no other meaning to look up; you learn the feeling attached to each.
- Uffa, che coda alle poste stamattina!
Ugh, what a queue at the post office this morning! (boredom, annoyance) - Ahi! Mi sono punto con la spilla.
Ouch! I pricked myself with the pin. (pain) - Eh, sì, hai proprio ragione.
Yeah, you’re quite right. (agreement) - Ehi, guarda chi si vede!
Hey, look who’s here! (calling attention)
Notice how flexible eh is: agreement (eh, sì), doubt (eh, non so), surprise (eh? cosa?), even “here I am” when someone calls your name. Among primary italian interjections it is the chameleon, and intonation does most of the work.
Secondary ones: basta, bravo, peccato
Secondary italian interjections are everyday words, nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, used with an exclamation force. They keep a faint trace of their original meaning, which makes them easy to guess.
- Basta! Smettetela di litigare.
Enough! Stop arguing. (from the verb bastare) - Bravo! Hai risolto il problema da solo.
Well done! You solved the problem by yourself. (from the adjective) - Peccato, era un’occasione perfetta.
What a shame, it was a perfect chance. (from the noun) - Coraggio, manca poco alla fine.
Come on, it’s almost over. (from the noun)
Adjective-based ones like bravo! can even agree in everyday use (brava! to a woman, bravi! to a group), the one place these italian interjections are not fully invariable. The rest stay fixed whatever happens around them.
Uffa: boredom and “enough!”
If you learn one of the italian interjections first, make it uffa. It is the sound of patience running out: boredom, mild exasperation, “I have had enough of this”. It is informal and a little childish, which is exactly why it is everywhere.
- Uffa, ancora questa pubblicità!
Ugh, this advert again! - Uffa, quanto manca per arrivare a Padova?
Ugh, how much longer to get to Padua? - Uffa, ho di nuovo dimenticato l’ombrello.
Ugh, I forgot the umbrella again.
You will also hear the shorter uff or a long sigh written uffa. Keep it for friends and family: like most strong italian interjections, it is too informal for a work email but perfect for a queue, a delay, or a chore.
Mah, boh, beh: doubt and shrug
Three of the most Italian italian interjections express not-knowing and hesitation. They look similar but each has its own shade.
- Mah, non saprei, il film non mi ha convinto.
Hmm, I’m not sure, the film didn’t win me over. (doubt, mild scepticism) - “Quando arriva il treno?” “Boh, non c’è scritto niente.”
“When does the train arrive?” “No idea, nothing’s written.” (genuine I-don’t-know) - Beh, alla fine non è andata così male.
Well, in the end it didn’t go so badly. (introducing a remark)
Mah leans sceptical, boh is a plain “I don’t know” (slightly blunt with strangers), beh simply opens a sentence like English “well”. These three italian interjections do an enormous amount of conversational work for how small they are.
🔍 The shrug trio. Mah = I doubt it. Boh = I really don’t know. Beh = well, anyway. Mixing them up is harmless, but using the right one makes these italian interjections sound native.
Dai, su, forza, coraggio
A whole set of italian interjections pushes someone to act: encouragement, urging, a friendly shove. They are warm, not rude, and you will use them constantly.
- Dai, sbrigati, chiude l’edicola!
Come on, hurry up, the newsstand is closing! - Su, non fare così, non è successo niente.
Come on, don’t be like that, nothing happened. - Forza, manca solo l’ultimo sforzo.
Come on, just one last push to go. - Coraggio, il peggio è passato.
Take heart, the worst is over.
Dai is the workhorse: encouragement, gentle protest (ma dai!, come on!), even disbelief. These encouraging italian interjections soften a request the way English “come on” or “go on” does, and they are safe in almost any informal setting.
Magari, accidenti, ahimè
A last group of italian interjections covers wishing, mild cursing and lament. They add colour and are very common in everyday talk.
- “Vieni in vacanza con noi?” “Magari!”
“Are you coming on holiday with us?” “If only!” (strong wish) - Accidenti, ho dimenticato le chiavi a casa.
Darn, I left the keys at home. (mild annoyance) - Ahimè, non c’è più posto sul treno delle sei.
Alas, there’s no more room on the six o’clock train. (lament)
Magari is special: alone it means “if only!”, but inside a sentence it can also mean “maybe” or “perhaps”. Ahimè (and ohimè) glue the pain word to a pronoun, a tiny relic of older Italian still alive in these italian interjections.
Toh, ehm, ahò: more sounds with a job
Beyond the famous ones, a second tier of italian interjections does very specific jobs. They look like noises on the page but each carries a precise function in conversation.
- To’, ecco la maglietta che mi avevi prestato.
Here, this is the T-shirt you’d lent me. (offering something; toh comes from togli) - Toh, guarda chi si rivede in giro!
Well well, look who’s around again! (unexpected meeting) - Ehm, non saprei come dirtelo.
Erm, I wouldn’t know how to tell you. (hesitation, embarrassment) - Puah, questo latte sa di vecchio.
Yuck, this milk tastes off. (disgust) - Evviva, abbiamo vinto la partita!
Hooray, we won the match! (joy, celebration)
Two more deserve a note. Toh (also written to’) comes from the imperative togli, “take”, and split between offering an object and reacting to a surprise. Regional italian interjections also exist: in and around the capital you hear ahò to grab attention, in Tuscany an old-fashioned deh, in the north a questioning neh? tacked onto a sentence to ask for agreement. You do not need to produce these regional italian interjections, but recognizing them stops a conversation from derailing.
Repetition is its own device: ah ah is laughter, eh eh is a knowing chuckle, uh uh can signal worry. Lengthening works too, a drawn-out maaah deepens the doubt. These small variations show how much italian interjections rely on delivery: the same letters, said differently, carry a different feeling.
Interjection phrases: santo cielo, ma va, figurati
Not all italian interjections are single words. A large set are fixed phrases, locuzioni interiettive, that behave exactly like a one-word interjection: invariable, emotional, followed by an exclamation mark. They are everywhere in real conversation and worth learning as whole blocks.
- Santo cielo, hai visto che disastro?
Good heavens, did you see what a mess? (surprise, alarm) - Ma va! Non ci credo proprio.
Come off it! I really don’t believe it. (disbelief) - Figurati, non mi disturbi affatto.
Not at all, you’re not bothering me. (reassurance, you’re welcome) - Per carità, non parliamone nemmeno!
For goodness’ sake, let’s not even mention it! (strong refusal) - Neanche per sogno, non ci penso proprio.
No way, I wouldn’t dream of it. (firm no)
Figurati (and the polite si figuri) is the swiss-army phrase: it answers “thank you” (you’re welcome), it brushes off an apology, and with a different tone it means “yeah, right”. Ma va swings between friendly disbelief and gentle teasing. These phrasal italian interjections carry as much feeling as the single-word ones, and using two or three of them well makes spoken Italian sound natural fast.
🔍 Learn them as blocks. Phrasal italian interjections like figurati, ma va, per carità do not break down word by word. Memorize the whole phrase with the feeling attached, exactly as you would a single interjection.
Speech or writing?
Almost all italian interjections belong to the spoken language. In a message to a friend they are perfect; in a job application or an academic essay they look out of place. The exclamation mark that follows them is a clue: it signals emotion, not analysis.
If you need the same idea in formal writing, you reword: not uffa, che noia but la situazione è piuttosto noiosa; not boh but non saprei dire. Keep these italian interjections for conversation, messages and dialogue, where they do exactly what they are built for.
Common mistakes English speakers make
- Reading magari only as “maybe”. On its own, Magari! means “if only!”, a strong wish.
- Using boh with strangers or in formal settings: it can sound like “can’t be bothered”. Use non saprei instead.
- Writing italian interjections in formal texts. They are spoken language; reword for an essay or a work email.
- Confusing ahi (pain) with ehi (hey, attention). One letter, opposite use.
- Making primary interjections agree: it is always uffa, never “uffi/uffe”. Only adjective-based ones like bravo can change.
- Over-translating: mah is not a word with a dictionary meaning, it is a sound for doubt. Match the feeling, not the letters.
Dialog: at the Lucca newsstand
Caterina runs the newsstand in Lucca; Lorenzo stops by on a slow, drizzly morning. Count how many feelings travel in single words.
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Uffa, che fila stamattina. Caterina, è arrivato il giornale di Modena?
Ugh, what a queue this morning. Caterina, has the Modena paper arrived?
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: Mah, oggi il furgone è in ritardo. Boh, non so nemmeno se passa.
Hmm, the van is late today. No idea, I don’t even know if it’s coming.
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Accidenti, mi serviva per il treno. Beh, prendo un’altra rivista allora.
Darn, I needed it for the train. Well, I’ll take another magazine then.
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: Dai, guarda questa, è uscita ieri. Magari ti piace più del giornale.
Come on, look at this one, it came out yesterday. Maybe you’ll like it more than the paper.
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Ehi, non è male. Quanto viene?
Hey, not bad. How much is it?
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: Quattro euro. Su, sbrigati, sta arrivando l’autobus.
Four euros. Come on, hurry, the bus is coming.
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Magari! Quello delle otto è sempre in anticipo. Grazie, a domani!
If only! The eight o’clock one is always early. Thanks, see you tomorrow!
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: Ahimè, anche per me giornata lunga. Coraggio, è quasi venerdì!
Alas, a long day for me too. Chin up, it’s almost Friday!
Count them: uffa, mah, boh, accidenti, beh, dai, magari, ehi, su, magari, ahimè, coraggio. A two-minute exchange at a newsstand is held together by italian interjections.
Cheat sheet: every interjection
One table for the whole set of italian interjections. Keep it open while you do the quiz.
| Interjection | Feeling | Example |
|---|---|---|
| uffa | boredom, enough | Uffa, che noia! |
| mah | doubt, scepticism | Mah, non saprei. |
| boh | I don’t know | Boh, chissà. |
| beh | well, anyway | Beh, vediamo. |
| eh | agreement, doubt, surprise | Eh, sì. |
| ahi | pain | Ahi, che male! |
| ehi | calling attention | Ehi, aspetta! |
| dai / su | encouragement | Dai, sbrigati! |
| forza / coraggio | cheer on | Coraggio, ci siamo! |
| magari | if only / maybe | Magari! |
| accidenti | mild annoyance | Accidenti, che sfortuna! |
| basta / peccato | enough / what a shame | Basta! Peccato. |
Mini-challenge
🎯 Mini-challenge. Choose the right interjection (uffa, boh, magari, dai, accidenti, peccato), then read each line aloud once.
- _____, che coda interminabile alle poste!
- “Sai dov’è Lorenzo?” “_____, non l’ho visto.”
- “Vieni con noi a Padova?” “_____, mi piacerebbe tanto!”
- _____, ho rotto il bicchiere preferito.
- _____, sbrigati o perdiamo il treno.
- _____, era un’occasione perfetta e l’abbiamo persa.
👉 Show answers
1. Uffa (boredom) · 2. Boh (I don’t know) · 3. Magari (if only) · 4. Accidenti (annoyance) · 5. Dai (urging) · 6. Peccato (what a shame)
Test your understanding
A short quiz on italian interjections is on the way: primary vs secondary, the shrug trio, and register. Take it after the cheat sheet.
(Quiz coming soon)
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Frequently asked questions
Seven questions about italian interjections come up again and again. The answers below draw on classroom usage and on the Treccani reference entry interiezione.
What is an interjection in Italian?
An interjection is an invariable word thrown into speech to express a sudden feeling: uffa, mah, ahi, dai. It does not change for gender or number, it is not grammatically tied to the rest of the sentence, and it almost always carries an exclamation mark. Interjections convey tone and emotion rather than information, which is why they are everywhere in spoken Italian and rare in formal writing.
What is the difference between primary and secondary interjections?
Primary (proprie) interjections exist only as interjections and have no other meaning: uffa, mah, boh, ahi, eh. Secondary (improprie) ones are ordinary words, nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, used with exclamation force: basta!, bravo!, peccato!, coraggio!, zitto!. Both are invariable, except a few adjective-based ones like bravo, which can become brava or bravi.
What does uffa mean?
Uffa expresses boredom, impatience or mild exasperation: roughly ugh or what a bore, sometimes I have had enough. Uffa, che coda! means Ugh, what a queue. It is informal and a little childish, perfect with friends and family but out of place in formal writing. You may also see the shorter uff or a long written sigh.
What is the difference between mah, boh and beh?
Mah expresses doubt or mild scepticism (Mah, non saprei). Boh is a plain I don’t know, slightly blunt with strangers because it can sound like I can’t be bothered. Beh simply opens a remark, like English well (Beh, vediamo). They look similar but the feeling behind each is different, and the right one makes you sound native.
Does magari mean maybe or if only?
Both, depending on position. On its own as an exclamation, Magari! means if only, a strong wish: Vieni con noi? Magari! Inside a sentence it usually means maybe or perhaps: magari domani piove. Context and the exclamation mark tell you which one: alone and exclaimed, it is the wish; inside a clause, it is the maybe.
Can I use interjections in formal Italian?
Generally no. Almost all interjections belong to the spoken language and to informal writing like messages between friends. In a job application, a report or an academic essay they look out of place. Reword instead: not uffa, che noia but la situazione e piuttosto noiosa; not boh but non saprei dire. Keep interjections for conversation and dialogue.
Why is it ahime and not ahi me?
Ahime (and ohime) is the pain interjection ahi joined to the old pronoun me. Italian allows both the separated spelling (ahi me, ahi noi) and the merged one (ahime, ahinoi). The merged form is the common modern choice. It is a small relic of older Italian that survives because the lament it expresses is still useful.
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Related guides
Three guides that sit next to italian interjections in the spoken-language cluster, plus the institutional reference.
- Italian Interiezioni and Intercalari: the broader guide on interjections and filler words.
- Italian Mica and Manco: the colloquial particles that flavour spoken Italian.
- Italian Double Negatives: another spoken-register staple, with mica.
- Treccani: interiezione: institutional reference on interjections.
Riccardo, Grazie per quest’informazione . E molto utile per me come insegnante. Stavo cercando queste parole per informare i miei studenti. Grazie e buona giornata!
Prego.
So Riccardo, are you still on here? I’m an Italian teacher, college level, but currently semi-retired and teaching at a language school, so I’m without the usual crowd of Italians to ask about current usage. If you still use this site, please write back, and I would love to ask you some questions.
Of course I’m here. Please use the language forum “solo italiano”. Since you’re a teacher, I’m expecting you to write your questions in Italian only. Ciao.
Ciao Riccardo when would you use ‘che forte!’ and also ‘figurati’ .Grazie tanto. Lisa
Ciao Lisa,
Che forte can be something like
“how cool!”, Ho visto l’ultimo film con Stallone. Che forte!
“very funny” Che forte Mario, mi fa morire dal ridere.
Figurati is less intuitive. Can be
“you are welcome” A: Grazie mille per il tuo aiuto. B: Figurati. or si figuri (Lei)
“you can imagine = it’s impossible” Il presidente non si dimetterà mai, figurati! or Figuriamoci (noi, tutti)
We can introduce an unlikely event / situation: Figuriamoci se mio marito mi regalerà dei fiori. Non lo fa mai.
Ci sono altre possibilità e sfumature nell’uso di figurati. Ne parleremo. Ciao!
I would make a comment like: The economy will get better. Mamma would say: bocca di angelo. Something like “from the mouths of angels” Instead of “magari” it would be bocca di angelo and I was the “angelo”.Although my reference was usually hope that our political leadership would change. Does that make sense? She really did use it a lot. It might have been a term used more frequently around the Trieste area.
That could be a local version of “parole sante”, very common in standard Italian.
More likely it is similar to the English phrase: “when angels speak”. This insinuates that your statement will practically never happen but you are sweet and innocent (angelic) to think it might.
Interesting. Grazie.
Also my mamma used a term ” bocca di angelo” it was a term she used almost like magari . Have you ever heard the saying?
No, never heard. Interessante. Puoi farmi un esempio? Grazie.
What about “beh” where does that go?
Ciao Marisa. “Beh” è una interiezione propria. Depends on the intonation. Beh…”after all…”;
“Beh!” “not too bad!”;
“Beh?” “do you have anything to say?”.