oh
oh — exclamation
1. a short sound a speaker makes the moment they hear, see, or learn something — us
a short sound a speaker makes the moment they hear, see, or learn something — used to signal surprise, mild shock, sudden pleasure, or quiet disappointment, depending on the tone of voice.
Oh, I didn't know Marcus was your brother!
Oh, + clause expressing surprise at new information
Oh, what a beautiful sunset over Tamsui Bay tonight.
Oh + 'what a' + noun for sudden admiration
"The bakery is closed today." "Oh, that's a shame."
Oh! You scared me jumping out from behind the door.
Lina opened the present and gasped, "Oh, it's perfect."
文法句型
Oh, + clause
Oh! (standalone)
用法筆記
Tone of voice carries the emotion — written 'oh' is ambiguous between pleasure and disappointment, so context or a following comment usually clarifies. Distinguish from sense 2 (sudden idea) and sense 3 (paired with another exclamation like 'oh no').
常見錯誤
2. a small filler sound that flags an idea or piece of information popping into the
a small filler sound that flags an idea or piece of information popping into the speaker's head mid-conversation, usually so they can add it before they forget.
Oh, before I forget, your dentist called this morning.
Oh + 'before I forget' to insert remembered info
Oh, and please pick up some milk on your way home.
Oh, and + added afterthought
Oh, I just remembered — Maya's birthday is on Friday.
Carlos paused, then said, "Oh, that's where I left my keys."
文法句型
Oh, + remembered statement
Oh, and + added thought
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'and', 'by the way', or 'I just remembered'. Distinguish from sense 1: this use does not react to what the other person just said but to a thought rising in the speaker's own mind.
常見錯誤
3. the lead-in word in fixed pairings such as 'oh no', 'oh dear', 'oh God', or 'oh
the lead-in word in fixed pairings such as 'oh no', 'oh dear', 'oh God', or 'oh come on' — together they release feelings like frustration, sadness, sympathy, or annoyance about a bad piece of news.
Oh no, the milk has gone bad already.
Oh no for small everyday setbacks
Oh dear, poor Mrs. Tanaka has broken her wrist again.
Oh dear for sympathetic concern
Oh come on, the bus can't be late a third time this week!
Oh God, I left the oven on at home.
Oh no, our train was cancelled because of the storm.
- hooray
celebratory opposite — used for good news rather than bad
文法句型
Oh + no/dear/God/come on
用法筆記
Almost always sits in a fixed two-word pair. 'Oh God' and 'oh hell' may offend religious listeners; 'oh dear' and 'oh no' are safe in any company. Distinguish from sense 1, which can stand alone without a partner word.
常見錯誤
oh — noun
1. the spoken or written-out way of saying the digit 0, especially when reading num
the spoken or written-out way of saying the digit 0, especially when reading numbers one digit at a time — common with phone numbers, room numbers, years, and codes.
My new mobile number ends with the digits two-oh-five-three.
spelled-out digit: 'oh' for 0 in a phone number
The hotel put us in room four-oh-seven on the top floor.
'oh' for 0 in a room number
Eleanor graduated in nineteen-oh-nine, before the First World War.
Please type the code one-oh-oh-three to unlock the cabinet.
文法句型
read each digit aloud as 'oh'
用法筆記
Use 'oh' only when reading digits one by one, not when stating a quantity — 'I have zero apples', never 'I have oh apples'. Common in British and American speech alike for phone numbers, hotel rooms, sports scores, and pre-1910 years.
常見錯誤
oh — abbreviation
1. the two-letter postal abbreviation for Ohio, a state in the Midwestern United St
the two-letter postal abbreviation for Ohio, a state in the Midwestern United States, used in mailing addresses, weather reports, and sports listings.
Please mail the parcel to 42 Maple Street, Cleveland, OH 44101.
[city], OH [zip] in a mailing address
The team from Columbus, OH won the regional baseball final.
OH after city name in news writing
Heavy snow hit several counties in northern OH last night.
The job advert lists the office address as Akron, OH 44308.
- Ohio
the full state name, used in formal prose and first mentions
文法句型
[city], OH [zip]
用法筆記
Always written in capitals with no period in the modern US Postal Service style. Distinguish from the interjection by capitalisation and context — postal 'OH' appears next to a city name or ZIP code, never standing alone as a reaction.