aha

See also:Appendix:Variations of "aha"

English

Alternative forms

• a-ha,ah-ha

Etymology

FromMiddle Englisha ha,aha,natural expression. Equivalent toah+ha!.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ɑːhɑː/
• (General American)enPR:ä-häʹ,IPA^(key):[ɑˈhɑ],[əˈhɑ]

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɑː

Interjection

aha

1. An exclamation ofunderstanding,realization,invention,orrecognition.

   Aha!That will work.

2. An exclamation ofsurprise,exaltation,orcontempt.

   Aha!Now I've got you!

Derived terms

• aha effect
• aha experience
• aha moment

Translations

exclamation of understanding, realization, invention, or recognition

• Arabic:

  Gulf Arabic:آها(āhā)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Ân(zh)(ǹg),A(zh)(à),A cáp(zh)(ahā)

• Czech:aha(cs)
• Dutch:aha(nl)
• Esperanto:aha(eo),ha(eo)
• Finnish:ahaa(fi)
• French:aha(fr),tiens donc(fr)
• German:aha(de)
• Greek:αχά(el)(achá)
• Hungarian:aha(hu)
• Interlingua:aha
• Japanese:ああ(ja)(ā),なるほど(ja)(naruhodo)
• Korean:아하(ko)(aha)
• Latin:aha
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari:ыгы(ygy)

• Nepali:ए(e)
• Norwegian:aha(no)
• Polish:aha(pl)
• Portuguese:ahá
• Russian:ага́(ru)(agá),а(ru)(a)
• Serbo-Croatian:aha,аха
• Slovak:aha
• Spanish:ajá(es)
• Swedish:aha(sv),jaha(sv)
• Turkish:aha(tr)
• Ukrainian:ага́(uk)(ahá)

See also

• ah
• ha
• eureka

Anagrams

• aah

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):[ˈaɦa]

Interjection

aha

1. aha,Isee(expresion of understanding, realization, invention or recognition)

Noun

ahan(indeclinable)

1. (colloquial,obsolete)toilet

   Synonyms:záchod,toaleta

Further reading

• “aha”,inPříruční slovník jazyka českého(in Czech),1935–1957
• “aha”,inSlovník spisovného jazyka českého(in Czech),1960–1971, 1989

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key):[ˈaha]
• Rhymes:-aha
• Hyphenation: a‧ha

Interjection

aha

1. aha

   Synonym:oho

Ewe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/æhæ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

aha(pluralahawo)

1. alcohol

Finnish

Etymology

Likeah(to which it is somehow related), tracing an exact origin is impossible. Probably ultimately a natural expression.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈɑhɑ(ˣ)/,[ˈɑ̝ɦɑ̝(ʔ)]
• Rhymes:-ɑhɑ
• Syllabification^(key):a‧ha

Interjection

aha

1. uh-huh(indicates that the speaker agrees or is simply still listening)

Usage notes

Depending on the context and intonation (especially with rising intonation), the interjection may instead be interpreted as dismissing or disagreeing with an opinion.

See also

• ahaa

Anagrams

• aah,haa

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ʔaˈha/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes:-aː

Interjection

aha

1. aha

Further reading

• “aha”inDudenonline
• “aha”inDigitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Gothic

Romanization

aha

1. Romanization of𐌰𐌷𐌰

Hadza

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ʔaɦa/

Noun

aham(masc. pluralahabii,fem.ahako,fem. pluralahabee)

1. tooth (fem. = molar, fem. pl. = adult teeth, masc. pl. = baby teeth)
2. red velvet mite (Trombidiid)

Usage notes

The form after a determiner isaha.

Hawaiian

Etymology

FromProto-Nuclear Polynesian*afa.Cognates includeMaoriahaandRapa Nuiaha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈa.ha/,[ˈɐ.hə]
• Hyphenation:a‧ha

Pronoun

aha

1. what?

   Heahakēlā?―Whatis that?

References

• Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “aha”, inHawaiian Dictionary,Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):[ˈɒhɒ]or[ɒˈhɒ](only as an exclamation)
• Rhymes:-hɒ

Interjection

aha

1. (colloquial)aha(an exclamation of sudden understanding, realization, or recognition)

   Aha,itt a hiba!―Aha,here’s the problem!

2. (colloquial)uh-huh(used informally in place of a “yes”)

Further reading

• (exclamation of sudden understanding, realization, or recognition):ahainBárczi, GézaandLászló Országh.A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára( “The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.:ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992:→ISBN
• (used informally in place of a “yes”):ahainBárczi, GézaandLászló Országh.A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára( “The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.:ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992:→ISBN
• ahainNóra Ittzés, editor,A magyar nyelv nagyszótára[A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó,2006–2031(work in progress; publisheda–ezas of 2024).

Maori

Etymology

FromProto-Nuclear Polynesian*afa,fromProto-Oceanic*apa,fromProto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*apa,fromProto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*apa,fromProto-Malayo-Polynesian*apa.

Pronoun

aha

1. what(interrogative pronoun)

References

• “aha”in John C. Moorfield,Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index,3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011,→ISBN.

Old Polish

Etymology

Natural expression. First attested in the second half of the 15th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):(10^th–15^thCE)/a(ː)xa(ː)/
• IPA^(key):(15^thCE)/axa/,/ɒxɒ/

Interjection

aha

1. (hapax,attested inGreater Poland)aha(showing surprise)
   • 1916[second half of the 15th century], Stanisław Słoński, editor,Psałterz puławski‎^[1],Greater Poland,pages69, 4:

     Odwroczcze szye wszystczy rychlo zapalayøcz szya, gysz my mowyø:aha, aha(qui dicunt mihi: Euge, euge)!

     [Odwroćcie sie wszystcy rychło zapalając się, jiż mi mowią:aha, aha(qui dicunt mihi: Euge, euge)!]

Descendants

• Polish:aha
• Silesian:aha

References

• Sławski, Franciszek(1958-1965) “aha”,inJan Safarewicz,Andrzej Siudut, editors,Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego[Etymological dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), Kraków: Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego
• B. Sieradzka-Baziur,Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “aha”,inSłownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego[Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków:IJP PAN,→ISBN

Old Saxon

Etymology

FromProto-West Germanic*ahu,fromProto-Germanic*ahwō(“waters, river”),fromProto-Indo-European*h₂ekʷeh₂(“water”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈɑha/

Noun

ahaf

1. water
2. running water,river,stream

Declension

Declension ofaha(feminine a-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	aha	aha
accusative	aha	aha
genitive	ahō	ahanō
dative	ahu	ahum
instrumental	—	—

Polish

Alternative forms

• acha

Etymology

InheritedfromOld Polishaha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/aˈxa/

• (Middle Polish)IPA^(key):/aˈxɒ/,/ɒˈxɒ/
• (Masovia):
  • (Ostróda)IPA^(key):/ˈa.xa/
  • (Warmia)IPA^(key):/ˈa.xa/
  • (Masurian)IPA^(key):/ˈa.xa/

• Audio 1:

  (file)

• Audio 2:

  (file)

• Rhymes:-a
• Syllabification:a‧ha

Interjection

aha

1. aha!(showing confirmation)[from 1546]
2. aha!(showing understanding)[second half of the 15th century]
3. aha!(showing that the speaker suddenly remembered something)
4. (Middle Polish)ah!(showing pain)[17 c.]

Further reading

• ahainWielki słownik języka polskiego,Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• ahain Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Zofia Stamirowska (1987-2024) “aha”,in Anna Basara, editor,Słownik gwar Ostródzkiego, Warmii i Mazur,volume 1, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich Wydawnictwo Polskiej Akademii Nauk,→ISBN,page115

Rapa Nui

Etymology

FromProto-Polynesian*hafa.Cognates includeHawaiianahaandMaoriaha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈa.ha/
• Hyphenation:a‧ha

Pronoun

aha

1. what?

Usage notes

• ahais always preceded by an article (eitherheorte).

References

• Veronica Du Feu (1996)Rapanui(Descriptive Grammars), Routledge,→ISBN,page21
• Paulus Kieviet (2017)A grammar of Rapa Nui‎^[2],Berlin: Language Science Press,→ISBN,page404

Romanian

Interjection

aha

1. Obsoleteform ofa.

References

• ahain Academia Română,Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a,Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010.→ISBN

Silesian

Etymology

InheritedfromOld Polishaha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/aˈxa/
• Rhymes:-a
• Syllabification:a‧ha

Interjection

aha

1. aha!(showing confirmation)
2. aha!(showing understanding)
3. aha!(showing that the speaker suddenly remembered something)

Further reading

• ahain silling.org
• Aleksandra Wencel(2023) “aha”,inDykcjůnôrz ślų̊sko-polski,page10

Sotho

Etymology

FromProto-Bantu*-jáka,a variant ofProto-Bantu*-jíbaka.

Verb

aha

1. tobuild

Tahitian

Etymology

FromProto-Nuclear Polynesian*afa,fromProto-Oceanic*apa,fromProto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*apa,fromProto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*apa,fromProto-Malayo-Polynesian*apa.

Pronoun

aha

1. what(interrogative pronoun)

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):[ˈa.ha]

Noun

aha

1. asagoplantation

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001)A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia,University of Pittsburgh

Toba

Particle

aha

1. yes

References

• María Belén Carpio, Marisa Censabella (2012) “Clauses as noun modifiers in Toba”, in Bernard Comrie, Zarina Estrada Fernández, editors,Relative Clauses in Languages of the Americas(in Toba),→ISBN

Yoruba

Ahá

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ā.há/

Noun

ahá

1. drinkingcalabash;a smallcupcarved out of a calabash used to drink palm wine and feed babies.