och
oh
Expresses annoyance, disappointment, or reluctance, often in response to a suggestion or a piece of news.
EXAMPLE
Och, muss das jetzt wirklich sein?
Oh, does this really have to happen now?
och
oh
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Meanings
och
oh
Expresses mild surprise, astonishment, or the happy realization of something.
EXAMPLE
Och, du bist ja auch schon da!
Oh, you're here already too!
och
oh
Expresses that you are downplaying something or do not consider it particularly important.
EXAMPLE
Och, das ist doch halb so schlimm.
Oh, it's really not that bad.
Usage tips
Sentence structure and commas
'Och' (oh) often appears at the beginning of a sentence and is then separated by a comma. It stands outside the actual sentence and does not change its word order.
EXAMPLE
Och, das habe ich gar nicht bemerkt.
Oh, I didn't notice that at all.
Informal use
'Och' (oh) is typical of casual conversations and personal messages. It is uncommon in factual or formal texts.
EXAMPLE
Och, bleib doch noch ein bisschen!
Oh, stay a little longer!
Typical combinations
'Och nee' (oh no) or 'och nö' (oh no) are often used to react to something unpleasant. Both expressions can also stand alone as short answers.
EXAMPLE
Och nee, jetzt habe ich den Bus verpasst!
Oh no, now I've missed the bus!
Downplaying something
In answers to questions about quantities or effort, 'och' (oh) is often combined with 'nur' (only) or 'nicht viel' (not much). This presents the quantity or effort as small.
EXAMPLE
Och, die Reparatur hat nur zehn Minuten gedauert.
Oh, the repair only took ten minutes.
In real life
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