Interjections are words or short phrases that show a sudden feeling, reaction, or comment. They often stand outside the grammar of the sentence, so they can appear alone or be added before, after, or inside a sentence. In writing, they commonly use punctuation like commas, exclamation points, or question marks to show the speaker’s emotion. In speech, tone and stress usually carry most of the meaning.

Interjections communicate the speaker’s immediate response, such as surprise, pain, relief, hesitation, or approval. They can also manage conversation by getting attention, signaling a pause, or reacting to what someone said. The same interjection can express different meanings depending on tone, volume, and context. Because they are expressive rather than descriptive, they often sound more natural in spoken English.

Interjections can stand alone as complete utterances, especially in conversation. They can also appear at the beginning of a sentence to set the emotional tone, in the middle to interrupt, or at the end as a reaction. When an interjection is inserted into a sentence, it is usually separated with commas or dashes. Position affects emphasis: beginning position feels strongest, while end position often feels like a quick afterthought.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Stand alone to show a full reaction	📌 独立出现以展示完整反应	Ouch!	🗣️ 哎呀！
Use a comma when it introduces a sentence lightly	📌 当感叹词在句子中轻微引导时使用逗号	Well, I guess we can go.	✍️ 好吧，我想我们可以走。
Use an exclamation point for strong emotion	📌 用感叹号表达强烈情感	Wow! That’s amazing.	✍️ 哇！那太棒了。
Use dashes to show interruption or sudden insertion	📌 用破折号表示打断或突然插入	I was—uh—trying to call you.	✍️ 我正想——呃——给你打电话。
Use a comma at the end for a soft tag reaction	📌 句末使用逗号表示软标签反应	That’s fine, okay.	✍️ 那没问题，好吧。

Punctuation helps show how strong the interjection is and how it connects to the sentence. Exclamation points usually indicate stronger emotion or a sharper reaction, while commas show a milder interjection that blends into the sentence. A question mark can show surprise, confusion, or disbelief. Dashes can show a break in thought, self-correction, or an abrupt emotional shift.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use ! for strong reactions and sudden feelings	📌 对强烈反应和突发情感使用感叹号	Oh no!	✍️ 哇！
Use , when the interjection is part of the flow	📌 当感叹词在句子流中作为部分时使用逗号	Oh, I didn’t realize.	✍️ 哦，我没意识到。
Use ? for surprised or uncertain reactions	📌 对惊讶或不确定的反应使用问号	Huh?	✍️ 呃？
Use … to show trailing off or hesitation	📌 使用……表示拖延或犹豫	Um… I’m not sure.	✍️ 嗯…… 我不确定。
Use — for abrupt breaks or self-interruption	📌 在突然中断或自我打断时使用破折号	Wait—what happened?	✍️ 等一下——发生了什么？

Many interjections can be soft, neutral, or strong depending on stress and punctuation. A mild interjection often sounds polite or conversational, while a strong one can sound dramatic, angry, or excited. Choosing intensity is important for tone: written English often needs punctuation to clarify intensity, but spoken English uses pitch and volume. In formal writing, strong interjections are usually rare because they can feel too emotional.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Oh	🔊 Oh	mild surprise or realization	🔊 轻微的惊讶或顿悟	Oh, I see.	🗣️ 哦，我明白了。
Oh!	🔊 Oh！	stronger surprise	🔊 更强的惊讶	Oh! You’re here.	🗣️ 哦！你来了。
Oh no	🔊 Oh 不	concern or bad news reaction	🔊 担忧或坏消息的反应	Oh no, I forgot.	🗣️ 哦，不，我忘了。
Wow	🔊 Wow	impressed or surprised	🔊 印象深刻或惊讶	Wow, that’s fast.	🗣️ 哇，那真快。
Whoa	🔊 Whoa	sudden surprise or caution	🔊 突然的惊讶或谨慎	Whoa, slow down.	🗣️ 哇哦，慢点。

Interjections often group by the type of reaction they express, like surprise, pain, agreement, or hesitation. Some are more typical in speech, while others appear in writing, comics, or online chat. Many interjections are short and easy to say quickly, which matches their role as immediate reactions. Because they are highly contextual, it helps to learn the typical feeling and the typical situation where each one is used.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Ouch	💥 Ouch	pain	💥 疼痛	Ouch! That’s hot.	🗣️ Ouch! 那太痛了。
Yay	💥 Yay	happiness or celebration	💥 快乐或庆祝	Yay! We won.	🗣️ Yay! 我们赢了。
Ugh	💥 Ugh	annoyance or disgust	💥 烦躁或厌恶	Ugh, traffic again.	🗣️ Ugh，交通又堵了。
Aww	💥 Aww	sympathy or affection	💥 同情或喜爱	Aww, that’s sweet.	🗣️ Aww，那真甜。
Phew	💥 Phew	relief	💥 放心	Phew, we made it.	🗣️ Phew，我们成功了。

Some interjections act as conversation tools rather than pure emotion. They help the speaker think, soften statements, introduce a new topic, or signal a response. These are extremely common in natural spoken English and can make speech sound more fluent. However, using too many can make speech sound uncertain or informal, especially in professional settings.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Um	🧩 Um	thinking or hesitation	🧩 思考或犹豫	Um, can I ask something?	🗣️ Um，我可以问一个问题吗？
Uh	🧩 Uh	small pause or self-correction	🧩 小停顿或自我更正	Uh, I meant Friday.	🗣️ Uh，我本来是星期五。
Well	🧩 Well	introduces an answer or contrast	🧩 引入回答或对比	Well, I’m not sure.	🗣️ Well，我不确定。
Anyway	🧩 Anyway	returns to the main topic	🧩 回到主题	Anyway, let’s continue.	🗣️ Anyway，我们继续吧。
Like	🧩 Like	informal filler for explanation	🧩 用于解释的非正式填充	It was, like, really loud.	🗣️ 它真的很吵，那个。

Interjections vary a lot by formality, so the same feeling can be expressed in a more formal or more casual way. In formal writing, interjections are limited because they can feel subjective or dramatic. In informal speech and online communication, interjections are common and often repeated or stretched to show emotion. Choosing the right register helps you sound natural without sounding too casual for the situation.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Prefer fewer interjections in formal writing	🎛️ 正式写作中应尽量少用感叹词	However, I disagree.	✍️ 不过，我不同意。
Use interjections freely in casual conversation	🎛️ 在随意对话中自由使用感叹词	Oh, yeah! Totally.	🗣️ 哦，是的！完全同意。
Avoid slangy interjections in professional settings	🎛️ 在专业场景避免使用俚语感叹词	I understand.	✍️ 我明白。
Repetition and stretching increase casual tone	🎛️ 反复和拉长增加随意语气	Nooo! / Yesss!	💬 不不不！/ 是的！
Some interjections can sound rude if too sharp	🎛️ 某些感叹词若过于尖锐会显得粗鲁	Eh.	🗣️ 呃。

Interjections depend heavily on sound: stress, vowel length, and intonation often change meaning. A rising intonation can signal a question or uncertainty, while a falling intonation can signal certainty or finality. Lengthening a vowel often increases emotion or makes the reaction playful. Because spelling varies in informal writing, pronunciation is the best guide to the intended feeling.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Description	🇨🇳 中文 描述	Notation	🇨🇳 中文 记号	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Vowel length adds emotion	🗣️ 元音长度增加情感	Longer vowels sound stronger or more dramatic	🗣️ 更长的元音听起来更强烈或更具戏剧性	oo → oooo	📝 oo → oooo	Nooo!	🗣️ 不oo！
Rising tone shows uncertainty	🗣️ 上升音调显示不确定性	Rising intonation can mean confusion or a question	🗣️ 上升的语调可表示困惑或疑问		📝 ↗	Huh?	🗣️ 呃？
Falling tone shows certainty	🗣️ 降调显示确定性	Falling intonation sounds final or confident	🗣️ 降调听起来最终或自信		📝 ↘	Oh.	🗣️ 哦。
Stress changes attitude	🗣️ 重音改变态度	Stress can sound excited, annoyed, or sarcastic	🗣️ 重音可以听起来兴奋、恼怒或讽刺	OH vs oh	📝 OH vs oh	OH, great.	🗣️ OH，非常好。
Glottal stop in casual speech	🗣️ 口门塞音在随意语音中的出现	Some interjections end abruptly in speech	🗣️ 某些感叹词在口语中突然结束	t̚	📝 t̚	What!	🗣️ What!

Interjections are different from regular adverbs or adjectives because they do not describe an action or noun inside the sentence grammar. They also differ from greetings and polite formulas because interjections are primarily reactions, even when they manage conversation. Many words can function as interjections in some contexts and as other parts of speech in others. The key test is whether the word stands outside the sentence structure as a reaction or comment.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
If it can stand alone as a reaction, it can be an interjection	🔍 如果它可以独立作为反应存在，它就可以成为感叹词	Seriously?	🗣️ 严肃吗？
If it modifies a verb or adjective, it is not an interjection	🔍 如果它修饰动词或形容词，则不是感叹词	She spoke quietly.	✍️ 她说话很安静。
Some words shift category by use	🔍 某些词通过用法改变类别	Well, we tried.	✍️ 好吧，我们试过了。
Interjections are not required for sentence grammar	🔍 感叹词并不是句子语法所必需的	I agree.	✍️ 我同意。
Tone often matters more than dictionary meaning	🔍 语气通常比字典意义更重要	Yeah…	🗣️ 是的……

Interjections express quick emotions and reactions, and they often sit outside sentence grammar. Their meaning depends strongly on punctuation in writing and intonation in speech. Learning where they appear in a sentence and how strong they sound helps you choose the right tone. With these patterns, you can recognize and use interjections naturally in everyday English.