I don't know if the spelling is right, I have never read it, only heard. I have heard it around Munich several times. It was used when someone dropped glass from his hand or similar situation.
I cannot find anywhere. What is the exact meaning?
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3Probably "Oh Mann!", meaning something like OMG!– Rudy VelthuisCommented Apr 3, 2019 at 13:35
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1Maybe it is "Ah Mann!", but there was definitely A not O.– onetwo12Commented Apr 3, 2019 at 13:40
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3When someone drops something it goes "Bang. Aaaah!", when someone falls from off cliff it goes "Aaaah! Bang".– äüöCommented Apr 3, 2019 at 14:22
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1Did the person who dropped the glass say it, or did someone standing nearby say it?– PhilippCommented Apr 3, 2019 at 14:54
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2Aw man, it's not aye man. But we also have Och menno.– vectoryCommented Apr 3, 2019 at 18:46
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3 Answers
I guess, it's either "Ach, Mann" or "Ahh, Mann".
I would translate both expressions to "argh", which is an onomatopoeia for annoyance, frustration or embarassent. I use "Ach" more for embarassment and "Ahhh" more for annoyance/anger towards myself.
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What sound does it imitate or capture in poetic form, other than the sound of an annoyed interjection (or discourse marker [or ...]). It's a reflexive exhalation from a tensed upper body with hardly voluntary vocalization, that's voluntarily immitated in this phrase. Ger. ch, En ww or in rhottic dialects rgh correspond to a tensed larynx. The w also somewhat to the diphtong au "outsch", but if the tongue is backed to the glottal tract, then ow ~ oh comes out. iieh, "eek" and igit even show the second sound shift, I believe.– vectoryCommented Apr 3, 2019 at 19:02
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There's also a whole set of such expressions, like "Mann ey!" "Och Mann!" "Manno!" ,.... so feel free to add whatever feels like coming out in such a moment to "Mann" to create your own version I guess ;) Commented Apr 4, 2019 at 0:22
I'm pretty sure you heard "Ach Mann!", which was shortened to "Ah Mann!" because of the dialect in that region.
Or "Ah" was used as something like "aaargh!"
It actually means the same as "Oh Mann". If you would have to make a difference, you could say:
"Oh Mann!" is mainly used to express being annoyed by others
"Oh Mann, können die nicht schneller fahren!?"
whereas "Ach Mann, or "Ah Mann!" is used regarding one's own mistakes
"Ach Mann, jetzt ist mir [auch noch] das Glas ausgerutscht!"
or regrets
"Ach Mann, der Laden hat heute geschlossen!"
In many cases (especially when it's about annoyance) you could just say
"Mann, ...!"
Indeed, it must have been an local pronunciation of "Ach, Mann!", where "Ach" is used as a "Symptominterjektion" german wikipedia about the interjektion Ach.
"Mann" here stands not for the male person, but for humans in general.
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2Man stands for nothing, it's just emphasis. Unless directed definitely at somebody, in which case it can't be the indefinite man. So I thought, but compare Ach Mensch.– vectoryCommented Apr 3, 2019 at 19:05