अरे

What it means vs how it’s used

Literally: “hey” or “oh” — an exclamation to get attention.

The all-purpose emotional opener. “अरे वाह!” (oh wow!), “अरे नहीं” (oh no), “अरे यार” (oh come on). It can carry surprise, protest, delight or mild exasperation — the feeling is all in how you say it. Softened to “अरे” it’s warm; sharpened, it’s “hey, cut it out.”