Scotland · interjection
och
An exclamation expressing reaction, dismissal, sympathy, surprise, or mild frustration.
Uses your device’s built-in voice. Pronunciation is approximate because available voices and Scottish accents vary.
What och means
Och is a flexible exclamation whose meaning comes from tone and context. It can soften disagreement, show sympathy, dismiss a worry, or react to news.
How it is used
It often appears at the beginning of a sentence rather than carrying a complete meaning on its own.
- Part of speech
- interjection
- Pronunciation
- Often /ɔx/
- Register
- Informal Scots, Scottish English, and Irish English.
- Variants
- ach
Examples
Each example is followed by its intended plain-English meaning.
Och, dinnae worry about it.
Oh, do not worry about it.
Och no, not again.
Oh no, not again.
What to watch for
It is not exclusively Scottish and should not be performed as a stereotype; natural intonation matters.
Related Scottish words
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