Is 'Wow!' OK? See http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/wow_1
Not a teacher.

English Teacher
What interjection can be used in modern English as an equivalent to the old fashioned Why! (meaning surprise).
I need some up-to-date interjection to be used in the following micro dialogue:
Let Dave help Lily. - Why! Dave? He is meeting Steve!
Here's the entry in the dictionary which says the word Why! as an interjection is outdated:
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/why_2
P.S. Can Hey! or Huh! be used in this context?
Last edited by englishhobby; 11-Aug-2014 at 19:15.
If I were a native speaker of English, I would never shut up. :-)
Is 'Wow!' OK? See http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/wow_1
Not a teacher.
Wow expresses very big surprise and I need some "milder" surprise without "being very much impressed by something".
Maybe Why! could be OK (I'm making up a microdialogue for my students), but the dictionary says it's old-fashioned![]()
If I were a native speaker of English, I would never shut up. :-)
Your exclamation point confused me. A comma is correct: Why, Pablo, what a wonderful painting!"
It's still used, though you might be right that it's on the way out. I haven't noticed. Nothing has replaced it. Nothing needs to. Words and expressions die natural deaths, and new words and expressions are constantly born, but there is never a one-to-one exchange.
You could also say "Whoa, Pablo...." or "Man, Pablo...." which are newer. "There are also the older "Gee, Pablo...." and "Hey, Pablo...."
There are a lot of choices. Keep listening to English speakers and you'll get the hang of it.
Last edited by englishhobby; 13-Aug-2014 at 12:30.
If I were a native speaker of English, I would never shut up. :-)
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