ABSTRACT
Painful feelings (physical or psychological): (Note that the h is silent – it is not pronounced – in all these interjections.) Ahi! Ahimè! Ohimè! Ahi! Mi sono scottato! Ouch! I’ve burnt myself!
Ahi serva Italia, di dolore ostello Alas, Italy enslaved, wherein dwells grief (Dante, Purgatorio VI, 76)
Ahimè è finito il vino! Oh no, the wine is finished! (Literally: Alas!)
Expressing boredom, impatience, irritation: Uffa! Non ce la faccio più! Enough! I can’t stand it any longer! (no exact translation exists in English)
Common adjectives (see 1.4), sometimes accompanying nouns, can be used as exclamations, expressing for example pleasure, admiration, enthusiasm, approval, gratitude. Obviously there is a wide range of adjectives that can be used, though only a few are shown here:
Bello! Beautiful!
