whoa
おっと
解説 Definition
whoa は、「おっと」「わあ」「ちょっと待って」のように驚きや制止を表す間投詞です。くだけた会話でよく使われ、急に何かに気づいたときや相手を止めたいときに使います。
Whoa is an informal interjection used to express sudden surprise, amazement, or alarm, or to tell someone to stop or slow down. Its exact force depends on the following words and the situation, and it commonly appears at the beginning of an utterance.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
whoa は馬を止める掛け声から、会話の「おっと」「わあ」「ちょっと待って」へ広がった間投詞です。Whoa, slow down. なら制止、Whoa, that bike is fast. なら驚きと、直後の文脈で機能が決まります。くだけた語なので、書き言葉より会話や台詞向きです。綴りは疑問詞 who に a を足した whoa と覚え、woah は非標準的な異綴りとして区別しましょう。
Imagine someone pulling on a horse’s reins and calling “Whoa!” to make it stop. That original stopping scene connects naturally with the modern conversational use “Whoa, slow down.” The same sudden reaction also expresses surprise or amazement, as in “Whoa, that bike is fast.” Look at the words after whoa to decide whether the speaker is stopping someone, reacting to danger, or showing admiration. It is informal and common in speech, dialogue, and messages. Remember the standard spelling whoa; the frequently seen form woah is a nonstandard variant.
例文
Whoa, that bike is fast.
おっと、その自転車は速いですね。
Whoa, please slow down.
おっと、少しゆっくりお願いします。
Whoa, I did not see that step.
おっと、その段差に気づきませんでした。
whoa の類義語・関連語
whoa の語源・成り立ち Etymology
中英語の whoo, ho に由来する間投詞で、馬を止める掛け声から発達した。古ノルド語や中低ドイツ語の感嘆詞 hō とも関連がある。驚きや制止を表す自然発声的な語で、類語に ho や halt がある。現代では驚嘆や制止の場面で広く使われる。
Whoa developed from earlier English cries such as whoo and ho, used to attract attention or command an animal to stop. Its history is closely associated with calls directed at horses, although similar stopping cries occur in several Germanic languages. Because it functions as an interjection, its form reflects a prolonged vocal call rather than ordinary word formation. English later extended it from controlling a horse to expressing a sudden request to stop, surprise, alarm, or strong admiration.
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