Wah

English translation: wow or great

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Hindi term or phrase:	Wah
English translation:	wow or great
Entered by:	Narasimhan Raghavan

08:42 Apr 11, 2006

Hindi to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

Hindi term or phrase: Wah

I have to translate a tale. The tale takes place in India and there are some expression that I cannot translate because they are indian. But I would like to give o people an explanation of their meaning.
Can somebody help me with this?
Thank you.

Barbara Poli KudoZ activity Questions: 169 (1 open) (3 without valid answers) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 41
Local time: 21:51

wow or great

Explanation:
When a poet reads his poem, the audience appreciates with sounds of "Wah, wah".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2006-04-11 09:15:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Meaning hear, hear.

Selected response from:

Narasimhan Raghavan
Local time: 01:21

Grading comment

Thank you very much for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +8

wow or great

Narasimhan Raghavan

3 +4

Wow! Great!

Petra Potočnik Vukelić

4 +2

good, very good, wow

ms. jagruti trivedi

Bravo

Harinder Dhillon

Many shades of meaning possible, see explanation below...

Balasubramaniam L.

Answers

31 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

wow or great

Narasimhan Raghavan
Local time: 01:21
Native speaker of: Tamil
PRO pts in category: 12

Grading comment

Thank you very much for your help.

33 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

Wow! Great!

Explanation:
Wah is an exclamation that usually expresses positive opinion. It depends on the tone of the story whether you can translate it as simple "wow!" or use some other expression. Hope this helps.

Petra Potočnik Vukelić
Croatia
Local time: 21:51
Native speaker of:

Croatian

44 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

good, very good, wow

Explanation:
this is a term for appreciation of some deed, job, creation, action or gesture

ms. jagruti trivedi
Local time: 01:21
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Gujarati

10 hrs confidence:

Bravo

Explanation:
Wah is Bravo

Harinder Dhillon
Local time: 14:51
Native speaker of:

Hindi,

Punjabi

17 hrs confidence:

Many shades of meaning possible, see explanation below...

Explanation:
As none of the answers posted yet give a full explanation of the term, I am posting a separate answer, with apologies to the other posters. Petrapot has made the most important point, that it is the tone in which the word is uttered that really determines its meaning. Having said that, it can convey a variety of meanings. So the context is important in determining its exact meaning. Some of the ways in which it is used is given below.

The most common usage is to provide instant appreciation to some clever poetry or deed. Situations could be a poet recites a line of poetry, and the listeners if they approve of it respond with “Wah”, or “Wah, wah”. Again the tone here can indicate the level of approval. It could be a rave, total approval, in which case the utterance of the word may be accompanied by slapping of thighs, or a very grudging approval, in which case the word is uttered slowly and in low volume, no repetitions or slapping of thighs, too. Here it is almost like giving the poet the benefit of doubt, where he is expected to redeem himself in the next lines he recites.

Another usage is the questioning one, where “wah” is used to refute politely some statement, for example,

Wah janab, aap to gazab karte hai.

Here the word is not expressing any appreciation, on the contrary it is mildly questioning or expressing mild disapproval of some action.

Another interesting usage is when it comes along with “Are” as in “Are wah”. This is used when one doesn't expect someone to do something, but the person manages to do it.

Are wah! Yah to tumne bahut achchha kar diya.

Wah can also be used to raise a complaint. In this case it is used along with “re” as in,

Wah re, kismet! Kya is garib ko yah dekhna bhi baaki tha?

In this usage it more like “Alas” in meaning.

Many other possibilities are also there, which a good Hindi or Urdu dictionary will clarify.

Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 01:21
Native speaker of:

Hindi
PRO pts in category: 12

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

Wah

English translation: wow or great

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

Wah

English translation: wow or great

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language