Oxe
OH-shee
How to say itPart of: Regional
“Huh? What?; well!”
Oxe is the north-east’s “huh?”: surprise, disbelief or mild indignation, from oxente, itself from ó gente (“oh, people”). Oxe, por que não? is “well, why not?”; oxe, que isso? is “huh, what’s this?”. Bahia and Pernambuco say it most; the rest of Brazil knows it from music and television and sometimes uses it for fun.
Looking for more Brazilian slang? Brazilian slang: the guide
InformalThe North-eastalso: oxente, ôxe, oxiReply: Calma, oxe.
How Brazilians use it
“Oxe, cadê todo mundo?”
“Huh, where is everyone?”
Surprise.
“Oxe, por que não?”
“Well, why not?”
Mild indignation.
“Oxente, menino, que susto!”
“Goodness, boy, what a fright!”
The full form.
“Oxe, eu não disse isso!”
“Hey, I didn’t say that!”
Disbelief.
How to reply
- Calma, oxe.Easy, now; the word thrown back.
Similar expressions
Brazil vs Portugal
Brazilian, and north-eastern above all. Portugal says então or ó pá.
Common mistakes
- Don’t say it like “ox”: OH-shee, the x is “sh”.
- Don’t write it oxi in careful text: oxe or oxente.
- Don’t use it to mock a north-eastern accent: say it as yourself or not at all.
Frequently asked questions
What does oxe mean?
Huh? What? Well!: an exclamation of surprise or mild indignation from the Brazilian north-east. It is a short form of oxente.
Where does oxe come from?
From oxente, which came from ó gente, “oh, people”. It belongs to Bahia, Pernambuco and the north-east, and the rest of Brazil borrowed it.
How do you pronounce oxe?
OH-shee: the x is “sh”, two syllables, stress on the first. Oxente is oh-SHEN-chee.
What is the difference between oxe and uai?
Both mark surprise, from different regions: oxe is the north-east, uai is Minas Gerais. Uai often ends a sentence; oxe usually opens one.