What is GEE in Spanish?

"GEE! If I get any closer I'll fall down and drown!"

GEE is an interjection mostly used in the United States that expresses mild astonishment, and it is little by little becoming archaic because fewer people are using it these days. 
In Spanish, there are two interjections that are close in meaning and they are CARAMBA and CARAY. Just like GEE, these two words are becoming archaic in Spanish as well.
Though not necessarily the same in meaning, these expressions are also possible: SANTO DIOS or DIOS MÍO.
Funny, but also quite rare these days (you will find it only in the funny pages), there is also RECÓRCHOLIS.

 

Comments

Marita Villón said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
June 25, 2022 at 12:24 PM
Marita Villón said…
We say "MADRE SANTISIMA" or "SANTO DIOS" if we are religious, we also say "Carajo" if we are Ecuadorian.
María Villón
June 25, 2022 at 12:25 PM
HEIDY GARCÍA said…
It makes us understand an abbreviation that little by little is no longer used in the United States but also exists here in Ecuador but with another very close meaning.
June 25, 2022 at 12:30 PM
Unknown said…
Gee! This is new for me.
Cool, this is very useful for me.
June 25, 2022 at 12:48 PM
Unknown said…
This gives us to understand a way of expressing oneself in different ways but nevertheless reveals that one is not currently being used almost in the United States.
Explain that there are different ways to express ourselves around the world.
June 25, 2022 at 1:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I've heard that word a lot in series, but I had the idea that the word "gee" was like an abreviation of "Jesus" because of the sound; I used to think that it was like another way of saying "oh my God". It's good to know that word is not what I thought.

- DANIELA YEPEZ SANCHEZ
June 25, 2022 at 1:26 PM
Niza Bayas said…
I agree with the last coment... because i as well think that gee was refferring to Jesús!!!... I remember hearing some people saying GEES and it gives the same vibe as GOSH... its curious that for this word sometimes there are no traduction in spanish because its like the same for when we use the: (chuta-Chuzo) we use another words to say or to express the same feelling. For me the Gee its like CHUZO! In spanish hahahha

Niza Bayas
June 25, 2022 at 2:34 PM
Unknown said…
These words may have been disappearing and replaced by others, but there are still people who continue to use them so as not to lose the habit. -Bailón Danna
June 25, 2022 at 2:34 PM
Daniela Maza said…
I already knew the meaning of the word "Gee" because of the lyrics of seven rings by Ariana Grande, so I verified the meaning reading the paragraph. :)
June 25, 2022 at 3:02 PM
Bella Bravo said…
I hadn't heard that word before, but I find it very interesting and useful. In Spanish I often use the word "caramba" and knowing a way to say it in English is pretty cool.

Bella Bravo
June 25, 2022 at 4:38 PM
Anonymous said…
This is an interesting article, I haven’t heard ‘’GEE’’ before, so it’s a new word for me and it confirms the fact that fewer people are using it these days. The same with ‘’Caramba’’, I think the only time I’ve heard it is when Bart Simpson says ‘’Ay caramba’’. I consider that the most common expression of astonishment in Spanish is ‘’Dios mío’’

Fiorella Cuasquer MA 2-2
June 25, 2022 at 4:53 PM
Romina Pérez Soria said…
I personally did not use that term "Gee" since I did not know that it was also an expression in English, when I saw movies I saw them in Spanish with English subtitles and I never saw it, it must be as the article says, it is not being used much lately.

Romina Pérez Soria
June 25, 2022 at 5:35 PM
Unknown said…
Wow, I've never heard the interjection "GEE" before. And I think that considering it archaic is very correct, since today I have not heard someone say it. Although, on the other hand, in Spanish I have heard many people say the expressions "Ah caray" and "Dios mío".

Denisse Holguin Castro
June 25, 2022 at 6:50 PM
N.Q said…
I had never heard this expression, I am familiar with the caramba by the phrase Ay Caramba! by Bart Simpson but GEE is the first time I read this expression and I know its meaning, I use the words BAIA and Ah barbaro! to express surprise.
June 25, 2022 at 7:55 PM
Adriana Mendoza said…
Wow, the truth is that I had never heard that word, and I find it very interesting to know the meaning of when people use it. It seems to me a very good way to be able to change a little and the way we always express ourselves to something specific.


Adriana Mendoza Morán.
June 25, 2022 at 10:50 PM
Anonymous said…
I haven't heard this word, it's interesting how all the people around the world have different ways to express something, I think spanish is better because we have a lot of funny words that can't be translated, even if when we curse, it's really interesting.

Fer Taboada R. MA-2-2
June 25, 2022 at 11:45 PM
Katherine Zambrano 2-2 said…
I like these kind of interesting tips. Because as A non-native speaker sometimes I don't find a correct way to say some expressions. It's the first time that heard this word though. I love it! And I'm going to try to add it into daily speaking.
June 26, 2022 at 11:15 AM
Nasyah Tobar said…
I had heard that word before but didn't really know its meaning. Making a small relation to Spanish, maybe it could be the word "Dios mio" or "visijue" in some cases, depending on the context, since in Spanish there's more variety of words.

Tobar 2-2
June 26, 2022 at 3:11 PM
Maria Belen Ordoñez A said…
In different countries have many special words that express emotions or reactions. Currently, the technology and social networks with emojis and incomplete words. In Zaruma we have legendary terms that to this day are passed down from generation to generation, for example "Shoora", "Bien bestia", "Salvaje" and others. It is a good thing because we have never lost our identity.

María Belén Ordoñez
June 26, 2022 at 4:48 PM
Samuel Aguilar said…
I feel this is proof of how american language changes so often because of the "gen" jump in between decades. Not that long ago it would be normal to hear that, but now gen z has changed so much in so little time it's so weird to even think of a situation where you may hear anyone say that.
June 26, 2022 at 4:51 PM
Gianelly Flores said…
I think this post is great since I still don't speak English very well and these native expressions make me understand much more the slang and colloquial things of the English language and for example I feel that in Spanish-speaking languages it has become very common to express slang in English like Oh my good, but I didn't know the expression gee now I'll take it into account.
June 26, 2022 at 5:14 PM
Carla Estefano said…
I learnt this word along time ago in a song called "gee" by Girls Generation. It was really interesting to learn the meaning and I like this kind of posts because we might learn one word, but we learn a lot about a culture.
June 26, 2022 at 9:03 PM
Karol González said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
June 26, 2022 at 10:55 PM
Karol González said…
That expression I heard a few years ago in a FOX serie that called "Glee" and a sometimes they used that expression when they were between friend o in surprise moment. With this publication we learn a lot of language, 'cause we could see how play with they words.
June 26, 2022 at 11:02 PM
Unknown said…
very interesting in Ecuador we have many.
the interjections can change according to the country they can have different meanings and it's a lot of fun.


Quispe Moran Bryan Steven
June 26, 2022 at 11:30 PM
Sol Cañarte said…
I usually say Santo Dios when people say something that doesn't make sense or in extreme situations such as accidents or incidents.
June 26, 2022 at 11:44 PM
Unknown said…
Many expressions change over the years, I think the main factor are the new generations
June 27, 2022 at 12:36 AM
Unknown said…
It is an informal way to express that we are surprised, scared and when we are with friends too, this can change in each country. In Ecuador we use this expression a lot too.

-Natasha Castillo Medina
June 27, 2022 at 2:54 AM
Unknown said…
I had never seen this word, but now that it is mentioned in this blog in Ecuador if these types of words are widely used now I understand.


-Briggitte Velez
June 27, 2022 at 7:54 AM
Marita Villón said…
Taking a walk through this blog Mr Bermudez, I have already been able to change the name :)
June 27, 2022 at 9:33 AM
Patricia Franco said…
This is the first time that I listen to this word and I like it. I think It´s simillar as an expression in Ecuador, in Guayquil, especially: "QUE BESTIA"!!!!. We use it when we are so excited or surprised.

Patricia Franco
June 28, 2022 at 12:15 AM
DANIEL EDUARDO CABRERA CABRERA said…
These expressions remind me of one in particular, which an English teacher taught us at school that its meaning is when it is raining very hard, the expression is it is raining cats and dogs, just as in Spanish it was said llueve a cántaros.
But all these expressions are changing according to fashion and news among friends and young people since a new one comes out every time.
June 28, 2022 at 6:27 AM
PAUTA LADY said…
These types of educational blogs are very important, since thanks to them certain customs in the way of speaking or acting will not be lost over time.
Also, I really enjoyed reading this blog as I was able to learn about the expressions that are becoming archaic in the United States.

By: PAUTA CARAGUAY LADY NAYELY :)
June 28, 2022 at 7:58 PM
Unknown said…
Concuerdo cun algunos comentarios de aquí, y con la información brindada son algunas abreviaturas que hemos añadido a nuestro léxico y en el cual en ecuador algunos son parecidos, como cuando llegas a algún lugar y dices que más mi people

Michell Fernández Valencia
June 29, 2022 at 7:16 PM
Gianella Apolinario said…
Well, in this post I can realize that words, or rather expressions have their cycle, I think it is more a matter of fashion that new expressions are used, and certain expressions are no longer common for example I think that in the United States right now most people say Oh my Gosh!
June 23, 2023 at 7:35 PM
Nicole Chamba said…
I did not know about that term "Gee" since I did not know that it was also an expression in English, when I just read this article I realized that exists but I’ve been searching and apparently is not used frecuently.
June 29, 2023 at 1:09 PM
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