# Opa



## gramatica

Hi,

I can't find a Greek dictionary on this site. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what "Opa," means.

For example, if someone is dancing well and then someone says "Opa." What would "opa" mean in this context?

My attempt:

Bravo, well done.

Thank you in advance


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## Tetina

Hello, gramatica.
The truth is that "opa" is not really a word but an exclamation. It doesn't mean anything, it expresses a feeling. 
In the example of dance it expresses the high feeling, the pleasure ("kefi") of the person who watches somebody dance. It would be his/her way to participate and maybe an encouragement to go on. It doesn't mean "bravo" or "well done" because also "opa" is used by the person who dances expressing the pleasure and high feeling that he/she experiences.

We use "opa" in other cases as well with totally different meaning. For example we use it in the meaning of "stop":
-When you park and somebody helps you telling how much space you have and when to stop we use "opa".
-When you have an argument and somebody disagrees totally to what you're saying and wants to intervene he/she interrupts you telling "opa, opa!"


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## Paciente

According to the Triantafillidis dictionnary, όπα comes from the turkish word "hop" that means "go, jump" a word widely used in the countries of arabic culture or influenced by.

In addition to what Tetina said, it is also used as expression of surprise,   admiration, irony... 

And a quite funny expression is "έχω στα όπα όπα" which means : care and take care enormously, excessively for sb.


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## gramatica

Thank you very much

Regards


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## anthodocheio

Hello to all!

I was thinking... In which other cases do we/you say "opa"? Would it be possible to be used like "ooops"? In some cases maybe? I'm a bit confused..

Thanks in advance


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## ireney

Well it sort of depends. It's not as if exlamations such as "opa" have a set meaning you see. I've personally never used for "oops" (although I have used it as a "OK what just happened here?"  but I can sort of see it used that way.


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## Paciente

I am not an expert in "opa", but I wouldnt say opa for that,...

I think I would say οχ, or just : ουπς...


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## anthodocheio

Well, well..

Did you know that this opa I was trying to describe here (not the one used when dancing) also exists in Spanish?

For those of you interested (and able to understand Spanish) have a look here. It is really interesting...


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## Tetina

Paciente is right but I would disagree in one thing: Opa doesn't come from Turkish but from Arabic (close enough...). In my Knowledge Arabs use it as "hop" in the meaning of stop. 
I think then that our Spanish friends are influenced from Arabs more in this word and not so much from Greeks.


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## Paciente

Tetina,

People from Spain don't use the word "Opa"...

As I said, "hop" means "go,jump" in Turkish. If its meaning was "stop" we wouldnt use it for dancing, would we?

Some arabs friends told me that they also use "op" the same way we use it, are you sure it means stop in arab?

See you


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## jaxlarus

Hop in Turkish does not solely mean 'stop'. Let's say somebody is pouring wine in your glass. He's passed 'your limit' so you'd say όπα! like 'OK, that's enough, stop!' - the same way you'd use, say, the Italian μπάστα / basta! Or, imagine giving instructions to someone trying to park his car somewhere narrow... Όπα!

*Hop *also means *all of a sudden* in Turkish. In that case I think a Greek would say *(χ)οπ!*.

*Hop hop sıçramak* means *to jump of joy* / *πηδάω απ' τη χαρά μου*.

Hop! or hopla! means jump!

And then there's also *hoppala*: oops! / how odd! / what an idea! / that's just it!


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## Tetina

To be more accurate when I said in Arabic it means "stop" I had in mind the example of parking. This is the example that was given to me.


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## Paciente

hello,
I opened a new link in the arabic forum to see what our friends from there will tell us.
By the way Tetina, I dont think that the "opa" used in parking has anything to do with the turkish word. I think its just an exclamation to say "it's OK" and to draw someone's attention. (in the same situation, I can tell you, "όπα, όπα, όπα,... στοπ!" but opa hasnt got the meaning of "advance slowly!" do you see what I mean?) We'll never know who's right after all in this never-ending discussion 

See you


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## anthodocheio

Hello everybody! The subject is getting popular...
Well, the thread in _sólo español_ has been moved to _other languages_ as it became obvious that it wasn't for Spanish only... Anyway, I'm bringing here the posts of our interest..




pepone said:


> Generalmente me consta que en el Río de la Plata también podemos decir como variante del opa, *OPALALA*, no sé si con esto viramos a buen puerto pero no deja de ser una opinión más.


Here says that apart from "opa" there is "opalala". We say "opalakia", don't we?




Malaia said:


> "Opa" es además una interjección griega. Véase la película "mi gran boda griega" cuando están celebrando el banquete nupcial. No sé qué significa en griego..pero creo que como ¡ála! en andalúz.





bb008 said:


> Yo iba a decir lo mismo, y ese "opa", lo entendía como el "olé" que dicen los españoles y también me preguntaba que significado tiene (me encanto mucho esa película). Esperamos a ver si un griego nos responde.


Here they are wondering about the Greek "opa" they heard at the movie; "My big fat Greek wedding"...




the_teacher said:


> Para mis compatriotas...no sé de que parte de Uruguay son pero aquí en Maldonado no se usa "opa" con los saludos, sí cuando uno se sorprende o muy usado también al ver caer un niño..."opa! arriba que no pasó nada...". Les suena? Bueno... no se si es mucho pero es lo que les puedo aportar !


_"In Uruguay it is used when one gets surprised or also very used when you see a child falling... "opa! up again and nothing happened..."_

That's the Greek "opa" I was trying to describe...





Argótide said:


> ¡Apuesto que ese uso es de origen italiano! Acá se oye mucho *oplà! *justo en el sentido que mencionas, Teacher.


And here it is confirmed that this meaning comes from Italian... That makes sense.. doesn't it?


AND... Please be tolerant with my bad English...


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## ireney

Το όπα κλπ είναι απλά ηχομιμητικές λέξεις. Δεν μπορούμε να πουμε ότι προέρχονται από την άλφα ή τη βήτα γλώσσα. 

Εν πάσει περιπτώσει η προέλευση μιας λέξης δε σημαίνει ότι και στις δύο γλώσσες δείχνει το ίδιο. Π.χ. Cariolla   Ακόμα και στην ίδια γλώσσα η σημασίες αλλάζουν  (εμπάθεια, παιδεύω).


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## balgior

anthodocheio said:


> Hello to all!
> 
> I was thinking... In which other cases do we/you say "opa"? Would it be possible to be used like "ooops"? In some cases maybe? I'm a bit confused..
> 
> Thanks in advance



like: "Όπα, έχυσα τη μπύρα!" ας πούμε?


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