Chinese word

天哪

Pronunciation

Pinyintiān nǎ

Meaning

  • interjectionoh my gosh

Example

天哪，我把钥匙忘在家里了。tiān nǎ wǒ bǎ yào shi wàng zài jiā lǐ le

Oh my gosh, I left my keys at home.

Illustration for 天哪 (oh my gosh)

More examples

天哪，这演出居然取消了。tiān nǎ zhè yǎn chū jū rán qǔ xiāo le

Oh my gosh, this performance was actually canceled.

Core concept

A spoken release of surprise or dismay at a situation that suddenly goes wrong.

Common phrases

  • 天哪，怎么会这样tiān nǎ zěn me huì zhè yàng

    Oh my gosh, how could this happen

  • 天哪，太贵了tiān nǎ tài guì le

    Oh my gosh, it's so expensive

  • 天哪，我忘了tiān nǎ wǒ wàng le

    Oh my gosh, I forgot

Similar words

天啊tiān a: A brief exclamation expressing surprise at something unexpected.
哎呀āi yā: A light exclamation of surprise when something unexpected happens.
我的天wǒ de tiān: An informal, emphatic exclamation of extreme surprise.

Definition in Chinese

用于表示突然的惊讶、懊悔或无奈的感叹词，常在口语中独立使用或置于句首。yòng yú biǎo shì tū rán de jīng yà ào huǐ huò wú nài de gǎn tàn cí cháng zài kóu yǔ zhōng dú lì shǐ yòng huò zhì yú jù shǒu

Word origin

天哪 (tiānnǎ, "oh my gosh") is a fixed colloquial exclamation shaped like a call to heaven, with 哪 (nǎ, "exclamatory particle") marking the cry rather than a question.

Usage tips

  • The expression belongs chiefly to conversation, while a formal announcement usually states the problem directly instead of opening with this emotional burst.

Other meanings

  • oh nointerjection
  • good heavensinterjection

Word lists with this word