guai

See also: guài, gùai, guaì, guāi, and guǎi

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencian) [ˈɡwaj]

Etymology 1

From Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai, “woe!”), from Proto-Germanic *wai. Compare Latin vae, which likewise descends from Proto-Indo-European *wai.

Interjection

guai!

1. woe!

   Synonym: ai

Etymology 2

Compare Spanish guay.

Adjective

guai m or f (masculine and feminine plural guais)

1. (slang) cool, terrific

   Synonyms: collonut, fantàstic, súper

Further reading

• “guai” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Italian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡwaj/
• Rhymes: -aj
• Hyphenation: guài

Interjection

guai

1. woe!
   • c. 1226, Francis of Assisi, Cantico delle creature [Canticle of the Creatures]‎^[1], Biblioteca del Sacro Convento di San Francesco, page 2:

     Guai acquelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali. beati quelli ke trovarane le tue santissime voluntati

     Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed be those who find themselves in your most holy will

   • 1321, Dante Alighieri, “Canto Ⅲ [Canto 3]”, in La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell], 12th edition (paperback), Le Monnier, published 1994, page 42, lines 84–87:

     […] Guai a voi, anime prave!
     Non isperate mai veder lo cielo:
     i' vegno per menarvi a l'altra riva
     ne le tenebre etterne, in caldo e 'n gelo.

     Woe to you, o depraved souls! Do not hope to ever see heaven: I come to lead you to the other bank, to the eternal darkness, in heat and in frost.

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡwa.i/
• Rhymes: -ai
• Hyphenation: guà‧i

Noun

guai m pl

1. plural of guaio (“trouble”)

Further reading

• guai in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• augi

Iu Mien

Adjective

guai 

1. clever, smart, intelligent

Japanese

Romanization

guai

1. Rōmaji transcription of ぐあい

Mandarin

Romanization

guai

1. Nonstandard spelling of guāi.
2. Nonstandard spelling of guǎi.
3. Nonstandard spelling of guài.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Portuguese

Etymology

From Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai, “woe”), from Proto-Germanic *wai, both from Proto-Indo-European *wai.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɡwaj/ [ˈɡwaɪ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɡwaj/

Interjection

guai

1. (obsolete) woe! (expresses grief)

   Synonym: ai

Further reading

• “guai” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024.