# universal sounds of pain **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722 "2006-05-07T02:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/1 "2006-05-07T02:04:24Z")
Generally those of us who speak English as our native tongue yell ow or a vulgar expletive when we accidentally touch a hot frying pan or hit our finger with a hammer. Do people who speak Russian, Italian, German, Swedish, French and so on utter similar sounds when there is a sudden painful event? If not, what would be the sound uttered in place of ow or ouch when there is a sudden pain insult to the body? ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/2 "2006-05-07T02:07:07Z")
In Russian, the common “pain sound” would be “Ai!”. In Japanese, it would be “Itai!” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/3 "2006-05-07T04:01:10Z")
Swedish: “Aj!” ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/4 "2006-05-07T05:17:18Z")
Dutch: Au! … $#$GR^###&&! ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/5 "2006-05-07T05:39:03Z")
Spanish: “Ay!” as in “Ay Chihuahua!” ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/6 "2006-05-07T05:51:53Z")
Filipino: Array! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Clam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@Happy\_Clam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Clam)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/7 "2006-05-07T11:57:20Z")
That would seem to suggest that the sound is universal, but that different cultures spell it in different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/8 "2006-05-07T17:57:19Z")
French aïe! pronounced as in Spanish, Swedish and Russian. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/universal-sounds-of-pain/355722/9 "2006-05-07T18:03:07Z")
Chinese: “Ai ya!”