Exclamation Meaning for Kids

Festival Exclamations

Maya: "Ow! You stepped on my toe!"

Arjun: "It was an accident! Why are you shouting like a fire alarm?"

Maya: "Because it hurts, okay? My toe is crying."

Arjun: "Now you’re yelling about the laddoos too. ‘They’re so yummy!’ You’re loud about everything today."

Maya: "It’s Ganesh Chaturthi! There’s music and flowers and Modak Aunty frying puris."

Arjun: "My ears are not dancing. They’re tired."

Amma: "You two, pass the banana leaves, please. And use your indoor voices, hmm?"

Maya: "But Amma, when I said, ‘Ow!’ it just jumped out."

Arjun: "Yeah, and when I saw the jalebis, I yelled, ‘Whoa!’ without thinking."

Amma: "Those jump-out words when you’re surprised or excited or hurt… they’re called exclamations."

Maya: "Amma, listen to this: ‘What a catch!’ That can be an exclamation, right?"

Arjun: "And ‘Aiyyo!’ can be an exclamation when I spill sambar on the floor."

Maya: "So I can still say my exclamations… just softer ones? Like, ‘ow’ instead of ‘OW!’"

Amma: "Exactly. Exclamations don’t have to be loud to be big."

Arjun: "Okay, here’s my quiet exclamation: ‘These laddoos are amazing!’"

Maya: "And here’s mine: ‘This festival is the best!’ That’s my biggest exclamation today."