Why do I need to know aïe?

Aïe is a sound you will hear a lot around France and it may be one that moves you to ask the person who utters it if they're ok. 

One thing you can be sure of is that you definitely don't want to be in a position where you're saying it a lot. 

So, what does it mean?

The action that goes with this word is a deep frown or perhaps even a wince of pain, because it is the French equivalent of 'ouch!' or 'ow!' in English. 

So for example you might say: Aïe! Je me suis piqué le doigt. – Ow! I pricked my finger. 

Or Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Je viens de me couper. – Ouch! I just cut my finger.

It can also mean 'oh', 'oh dear', 'oh no' or 'oh my'. 

In this case, you might say: Aïe! Que se passe-t-il? – Oh my! What's happening? 

How is it pronounced?

This one's a little hard to put into words, but luckily here's an example of how to pronounce it online. 

For more French Expressions and French Words of the Day you can CLICK HERE to see our full list