ay

ay — adverb

1. spoken on its own, usually before a sentence, as a short cry that lets out feeli

1.副詞
釋義

spoken on its own, usually before a sentence, as a short cry that lets out feelings such as sadness, shock, regret, or annoyance — for example, sighing 'Ay, what a pity!' on hearing bad news.

例句

"Ay, the poor child has lost her mother!" sighed old Mrs. Abbott.

exclamation expressing sadness or pity

"Ay, but the road home is long and dark," muttered the shepherd.

Ay, but … pattern showing regret or worry

同義詞
  • ah

    more common modern spelling for the same kind of soft, feeling-filled cry

  • alas

    stronger and more formal; specifically marks sorrow or regret

  • oh

    neutral exclamation that fits many emotions, while 'ay' leans toward sadness or surprise

文法句型

Ay, …!

用法筆記

Almost always sentence-initial and followed by a comma. Common in older poetry, plays, and folk speech rather than modern conversation; a present-day learner is more likely to read it than say it.

常見錯誤

❌I ay agreed with him.
✅Ay, I agreed with him," he said.
💡'ay' is an exclamation that stands at the front of a sentence, not a verb or adverb that goes inside one.
❌She felt ay about the news.
✅She cried, "Ay, what sad news!
💡'ay' must be quoted speech, not a feeling that someone has.

2. a way of saying 'yes' that is used in old-fashioned or Scottish speech, by sailo

2.副詞
釋義

a way of saying 'yes' that is used in old-fashioned or Scottish speech, by sailors answering an order, and most often today in British and similar parliaments when members vote in favour — as in the call 'The ays have it.'

例句

"Ay, sir," the young sailor answered, and climbed back up to the mast.

nautical reply: 'Ay, sir' = yes to an order

When the Speaker called for the vote, twenty members shouted "Ay!" from the back benches.

parliamentary vote: shouted 'Ay!' for yes

同義詞
  • yes

    the everyday word; 'ay' is its older or formal cousin

  • aye

    the much more common spelling of the same word, especially at sea and in Scottish use

  • yea

    old or formal alternative, also used in voting (yeas and nays)

反義詞
  • no

    the plain opposite answer

  • nay

    the formal voting opposite, used in 'the nays have it'

文法句型

Ay!

Ay, sir.

the ays / ays and noes

用法筆記

Outside Scotland and seafaring talk, this sense survives mainly as a formal voting word: members of parliament shout 'Ay!' for yes and 'No!' against, and the chair announces 'The ays have it.' The plural-noun use ('the ays') only appears in this voting context.

常見錯誤

❌I will say ay to your invitation.
✅I will say yes to your invitation.
💡in everyday modern English, use 'yes'; 'ay' sounds like a parliament vote or old Scottish speech.
❌The members voted ay the new law.
✅The members voted ay on the new law.' / 'The ays carried the new law.
💡'ay' is the answer itself, so it does not take a direct object.