aha

See also: Appendix:Variations of "aha"

English

Alternative forms

• a-ha, ah-ha

Etymology

From Middle English a ha, aha, natural expression. Equivalent to ah + 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 of understanding, realization, invention, or recognition.

   Aha! That will work.

2. An exclamation of surprise, exaltation, or contempt.

   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: 嗯 (zh) (ǹg), 啊 (zh) (à), 啊哈 (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, I see (expresion of understanding, realization, invention or recognition)

Noun

aha n (indeclinable)

1. (colloquial, obsolete) toilet

   Synonyms: záchod, toaleta

Further reading

• “aha”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “aha”, in Slovník 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 (plural ahawo)

1. alcohol

Finnish

Etymology

Like ah (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” in Duden online
• “aha” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Gothic

Romanization

aha

1. Romanization of 𐌰𐌷𐌰

Hadza

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaɦa/

Noun

aha m (masc. plural ahabii, fem. ahako, fem. plural ahabee)

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

Usage notes

The form after a determiner is aha.

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *afa. Cognates include Maori aha and Rapa Nui aha.

Pronunciation

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

Pronoun

aha

1. what?

   He aha kēlā? ― What is that?

References

• Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “aha”, in Hawaiian 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): aha in Bárczi, Géza and László 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”): aha in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• aha in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Maori

Etymology

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *afa, from Proto-Oceanic *apa, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apa, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apa, from Proto-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^th CE) /a(ː)xa(ː)/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /axa/, /ɒxɒ/

Interjection

aha

1. (hapax, attested in Greater Poland) aha (showing surprise)
   • 1916 [second half of the 15th century], Stanisław Słoński, editor, Psałterz puławski‎, Greater Poland, pages 69, 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”, in Jan 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”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *ahu, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō (“waters, river”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ (“water”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑha/

Noun

aha f

1. water
2. running water, river, stream

Declension

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

Declension of aha (feminine a-stem)

Polish

Alternative forms

• acha

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish aha.

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

References

1. Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “aha”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
2. S. Urbańczyk, editor (1953–2002), “aha”, in Słownik staropolski (in Old Polish), volumes 1–11, Wrocław, Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Łódź: Polish Academy of Sciences
3. Krystyna Siekierska (04.08.2009) “AHA”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]

Further reading

• aha in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• aha in 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, page 115

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hafa. Cognates include Hawaiian aha and Maori aha.

Pronunciation

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

Pronoun

aha

1. what?

Usage notes

• aha is always preceded by an article (either he or te).

References

• Veronica Du Feu (1996) Rapanui (Descriptive Grammars), Routledge, →ISBN, page 21
• Paulus Kieviet (2017) A grammar of Rapa Nui‎, Berlin: Language Science Press, →ISBN, page 404

Romanian

Interjection

aha

1. Obsolete form of a.

References

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

Silesian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish aha.

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

• aha in silling.org
• Aleksandra Wencel (2023) “aha”, in Dykcjůnôrz ślų̊sko-polski, page 10

Sotho

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-jáka, a variant of Proto-Bantu *-jíbaka.

Verb

aha

1. to build

Tahitian

Etymology

From Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *afa, from Proto-Oceanic *apa, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apa, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *apa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *apa.

Pronoun

aha

1. what (interrogative pronoun)

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈa.ha]

Noun

aha

1. a sago plantation

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. drinking calabash; a small cup carved out of a calabash used to drink palm wine and feed babies.