Are you trying to get your friend's attention without screaming their name for all to hear? Perhaps you just want to alert the person standing near you and don’t know how to address them.
If so, calling out “ayo” may be exactly how to do it. You can call your friends, get a stranger's attention, or just draw attention to yourself!
Most people understand just what this term means and how to use it which is always an advantage.
This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The phrase “ayo” is a shortened version of saying, “hey you”, but is typically used as a substitute for “hi” or “hello”.
It’s something that you can say either over text or out loud in person to get someone’s attention.
In some cases, it can also be used as a phrase of surprise, to question something odd that someone just said, or even as a term of endearment.
“Ayo” is typically only used with close friends or people that are the same age as you, but not with someone who is older than you or has authority over you, as it can be seen as very informal.
It can often be used to get someone’s attention when you cannot remember their name. Saying, “ayo, come look at this” gets the attention of the person you are trying to talk to and gets them to come see what you are trying to show them.
If someone tells you something exciting, you may respond with, “ayo, that’s really cool!”
Example Usage
“Ayo, is this yours?”
“Ayo, what you said was kinda weird. What do you mean by that?”
“Ayo, have you seen this video?”
“Ayo! Does this look weird to you?”
“Ayo! Can I ask you something?”
“Ayo, you look so good!”
“Ayo! Wanna catch this movie tomorrow night?”
Origin
The term “ayo” was has been around in real life long before it was seen online.
It has been used in friendly conversation since the late 80s, typically among urban youth. There is no single point of origin for the term, though it is said to have started in the Italian population of New York, and among the POC community in other areas of the country.
It has mainly been used in the late 2010s through the current 2020s as a form of address, greeting, or just a general slang term among all parts of society.
Phrases Similar to Ayo
- Hey/hi/hello
- Hey you.
- What’s up?
- How’s it going?
- Wow/woah.
Phrases Opposite to Ayo
- Goodbye, or any sort of farewell.
- Go away.
- Leave me alone.
What is the Correct Saying?
- “Ayo” – Hey you, hi, or hello.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say Ayo
“Ayo” is a short and simple term used to say hello, get someone’s attention, express surprise, or accuse someone of acting suspicious.
Context is important in terms of knowing the exact meaning someone intends when they use the word.
An incorrect way someone could use this term is if they actually mean the opposite of what the term usually means.
Something along the lines of, “ayo, leave me alone”, though not necessarily entirely wrong, is not the way the term would typically be used.
Commenting on how boring something is, like, “ayo, that’s boring” would also be another way that this term is not necessarily used.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Ayo
- When trying to get someone’s attention, you may say “ayo, come look at this” or “ayo, come over here”.
- If someone tells you something surprising, you may reply with “ayo, that’s crazy” or “ayo, I can’t believe that”.
- If someone is acting in a way that is particularly suspicious, you could say, “ayo? That’s weird” or “ayo? That seems a little suspicious”.
- Ayo, come check out this hot new ride homie.
- That’s whack, ayo, get over here my dude and fix this.