guay

== Ladino == === Alternative forms === uay === Interjection === guay (Hebrew spelling גואי) woe! ==== Derived terms ==== guay de guay de mí guaya == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡwai/ [ˈɡwai̯] Rhymes: -ai Syllabification: guay === Etymology 1 === Unknown, maybe related to French gai, Italian gaio, English gay, of Germanic origin, or from Arabic كُوَيِّس (kuwayyis, “good”). ==== Interjection ==== guay (Spain) cool, terrific ==== Adjective ==== guay m or f (masculine and feminine plural guay or guais) (Spain, colloquial) cool, terrific Synonyms: chachi, bacán, chévere, chido, padre (Mexico) ===== Usage notes ===== This adjective is most often treated as invariable, with the form guay being used regardless of gender or number; however, the plural form guais is also often found. Hence, “They're very cool” may be expressed either as son muy guay or as son muy guais. ==== Adverb ==== guay (Spain, slang) cool, terrific ===== Usage notes ===== Sometimes expanded to guay del Paraguay or guay de Paraguay. ==== Descendants ==== → Asturian: guai → Catalan: guai → Galician: guai === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Old Spanish guay (“woe”), from Latin vae (“woe”) or Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai, “woe”), the latter from Proto-Germanic *wai, both from Proto-Indo-European *wai. Cognate with Portuguese guai, Catalan guai and Italian guai. ==== Interjection ==== guay (obsolete) woe! (expresses grief) Synonym: ay === Further reading === “guay”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025