An interesting Swedish word I learned recently is jaså [ˈjasɔ]. It is described by Wiktionary as an ‘expression of mild surprise’, and can be translated as ‘indeed, so, well then, oh, well, ah, huh’. So it’s quite a useful little word.
Here are some examples of how it’s used (from bab.la):
- Jaså, så du vill gå i skolan här? = Oh, so you really want to go to school here?
- Jaså, du vill prata om det? = Oh, you want to talk about that?
- Jaså, vi skakade av oss dem? = Oh, we lost them, did we?
- Jaså, du är här nu igen. = So you’re back again?
- Jaså, någon annan. = Well, I’m someone else.
- Jaså, du vill leka. = Oh, you wanna play?
- Jaså, minsann?? = Oh, do you now?
- Jaså, verkligen? = Oh really?
Equivalents in Danish appear to be åh, nå, nåh and tja.
What equivalent words are there in other languages?
In Finnish, similar words are ai, ahaa, jaa, siis, jassoo (from Swedish, a bit more rarely used).
The word siis often expresses disbelief, even irritation or anger, especially in the beginning of a sentence.
Tulit siis takaisin. = Oh, you came back.
Siis sä tulit takaisin. = Oh great, you came back. (sarcastically)
Siis tulitko sä takaisin? = Don’t tell me you came back.
It is also used to strengthen an expression of emotion.
Siis mä en kestä enää. = I can’t take this anymore.
Siis toi kissanpentu on niin ihana! = That kitten is SO cute!
/a/ seems to be very widespread – though in China it goes at the end of the phrase, not the beginning.
It sounds a little like German Ach so!, but is perhaps also used in an equivalent way to Jawohl!.