Do you wonder what Ayo means? It is quite annoying to some people. It is a harmless word used to get a person’s attention. Instead of saying Hi or Hello from a distance, you can simply shout Ayo!
However, the word is not always used to say Hello. It may be an exclamation to call a person to notice. When you find a person doing something wrongly, you can shout Ayo to call the person’s attention and correct the person.
Below is a list of ways to respond to Ayo! If you are one of those who hate the word, this article is for you. Keep reading.
18 Ways to Respond to Ayo
- Me?
- What’s up?
- What?
- Stop screaming. Will you?
- Call me by my name.
- Hello
- How have you been, man?
- Are you lost?
- That’s not my name.
- Am I doing it wrong?
- Yes?
- Good day
- Say what you have to say
- I know. I know.
- Did you forget my name?
- I will fix it.
- Am I making a mistake?
- It’s been a while
Me?
When a person says Ayo, you can ask if you are the one being referred to before you give a response. We know how embarrassing it is to wave back at a person who is waving at someone behind you.
With style, your hand slides back down when you realize you don’t even know the person, then you pretend you were not waving.
If there was a way to be sure that you were being waved at, you would use it. If a person says Ayo from a distance, you have to just keep looking till the person gets very close unless you know the person.
If the person is close and says Ayo to you, you can ask if you are being referred to. The person will say his/her reason for seeking your attention, then you can answer the person appropriately.
What’s up?
When a person says Ayo and you are sure you are being referred to, you can ask what’s up? Saying this when you are not being referred to may feel slightly embarrassing, even though it doesn’t have to.
As mentioned earlier, Ayo can be used in two contexts. It can be used to say Hi to a person. Ayo can also be used as an exclamation to call a person’s attention to something wrong or shocking. This response fits well into both contexts.
When a person says Hi to you, you can respond by saying What’s up? Also, if a person exclaims Ayo while you are doing something and you are not sure what the person is calling your attention to, you can ask by saying What’s up?
However, you have to be sure if you are being referred to before you respond with this.
What?
When a person says Ayo, you can say this. It sounds a bit angry because it is. If you are someone who does not like when the word is used, this response is probably the one you will go for.
What? is something people say when they are being called for something they are not interested in. It works in both contexts to show that you don’t approve of the word. In most cases, people don’t have a problem with the word but with the way it is screamed.
If a person calls you Ayo and you don’t like it, this response sends the message. You may have warned the person about it but the person is refusing to stop. This response is what you would hear from a person who is tired of warning you to stop.
If a person calls your attention to something wrong with Ayo, you can also respond with this. It may be in a situation where you need focus and the person is screaming Ayo. Saying this tells the person to say what he/she wants and stop screaming.
Stop screaming. Will you?
When a person says Ayo, you can say this. This response shows disapproval. However, it works in the two contexts in which Ayo can come in.
When a person calls you with Ayo, there’s a high chance that he or she is screaming. When a person exclaims Ayo to point out something wrong, there is an even higher chance that the person is screaming.
However, it sounds weird if the person is not actually screaming. If the person does not appear to be screaming but you don’t like being called Ayo, you can say this just to tell the person to shut up.
If a person points out a mistake that you can already see by saying Ayo, you can say this to shut the person up quickly and avoid attracting the attention of others.
Call me by my name
When a person says Ayo and you don’t like being called by that, you can tell the person to call you by your name. This response implies disapproval.
This does not fit if Ayo is exclaimed to call your attention to something wrong. However, if you are being greeted with this, you can tell the person to stop calling you by it. You have to be sure that the person is referring to you so you don’t seem stupid when you say this.
There is no way you won’t feel embarrassed when you tell a person to stop calling you Ayo and you find out you weren’t being referred to in the first place.
Hello
When a person says Ayo, you can respond by saying Hello. This is similar to being greeted with Hello and responding with Hi.
Just as Hello means the same thing as Hi, Hello means the same thing as Ayo! Although it is not in all contexts, Ayo is often used to mean What’s up? When you know that Ayo is being used to exclaim something wrong, you have to choose a different response.
Just like the other responses on the list, you have to be sure that you are being referred to before you respond with Hello.
While you shouldn’t be embarrassed by making that mistake, you will definitely feel a slight embarrassment for replying to a greeting that wasn’t thrown at you.
How have you been, man?
When a person says Ayo, you can respond with this question. As long as you know you are being greeted, you can always give a response that replies to Hello.
This response asks about the person’s welfare. It is similar to simply saying What’s up? However, there is a major difference between the two questions.
This response suggests familiarity while What’s up? can be said to a stranger. You can’t ask how a person has been if you didn’t previously know the person you are talking to so you should never say this to a stranger.
This response will make you feel embarrassed if you weren’t being referred to. It would be even worse if the person turns out to be a stranger.
Are you lost?
When a person says Ayo, you can respond with this. Wear a frown or a blank face while saying this to show disapproval.
If you hate being addressed with Ayo, you can simply let the person know. This doesn’t guarantee that he/she will stop addressing you with that word.
Therefore, you have to show your disapproval with your reactions. If a person exclaims to point out something you are doing wrong, you can respond with this question if you already figured it out.
That’s not my name
When a person says Ayo, you can choose to ignore it if you don’t like being addressed that way. Instead of answering, you can act like you didn’t hear it or you didn’t know you were being referred to.
To make it obvious that you are intentionally ignoring because of the statement, you can say That’s not my name and stop responding. You should only use this when you are being greeted with the word.
If a person is trying to call your attention to something you’re doing wrong, saying this can prevent you from getting the info.
If you are lucky, the person will point out what you are doing wrong after saying Ayo without waiting for your response. Responding with That’s not my name won’t be necessary then.
Am I doing it wrong?
When a person exclaims Ayo while you are performing a task, there is a high chance that the person sees you doing something wrong or almost making a mistake.
While some people immediately point out why they exclaimed, some people just say Ayo and wait for you to look at them before they say what you’re doing wrong.
That is to be sure that you heard them. If a person exclaims Ayo without immediately giving a reason, you can ask if you’re doing anything wrong so you can be corrected.
In no way can this question fit in as a response to a greeting.
Yes?
When a person says Ayo, you can ask if you are the one being referred to before you give a response. Responding inappropriately to an Ayo greeting that wasn’t meant for you is as embarrassing as it is to wave back at a person who is waving at someone behind you.
With style, your hand slides back down when you realize you don’t even know the person, then you pretend you were not waving.
If a person says Ayo from a distance, you have to just keep looking till the person gets very close unless you know the person. If the person is close and says Ayo to you, you can say Yes? It works in two ways.
It asks if you are being referred to and it asks what the person wants. The person will say his/her reason for seeking your attention, then you can answer the person appropriately.
You can also respond with this if a person exclaims Ayo. You are telling the person to go ahead and say what he/she has to say.
Good day
When a person says Ayo, you can respond by saying Good day. This is similar to being greeted with Hello and responding with Hi.
Just as Hello means the same thing as Hi, Good day means the same thing as Ayo in certain contexts. Ayo is often used to mean What’s up?
When you know that Ayo is being used to exclaim something wrong, you have to choose a different response.
Just like the other responses on the list, you have to be sure that you are being referred to before you respond with Good day.
While you shouldn’t be embarrassed by making that mistake, you will definitely feel a slight embarrassment for replying to a greeting that wasn’t thrown at you.
Say what you have to say.
When a person exclaims Ayo, you can quickly respond with this if you don’t like the word.
When a person exclaims Ayo, there is a high chance that he/she has seen something wrong and is trying to point it out.
However, some people have the habit of just saying Ayo and waiting for you to acknowledge that you heard the exclamation before they say anything else.
I know. I know
When a person exclaims Ayo while you are performing a task, there is a high chance that he has seen a mistake or some sort of danger.
If you know what the person is about to say, you can tell the person you already know. In no way can this statement be used to respond to a greeting.
Did you forget my name?
When a person keeps trying to get your attention but is refusing to call your name, it can be very annoying. You can simply ask this question.
However, if you suspect that the person has exclaimed to point out a mistake or danger, you may want to choose a more polite response.
I will fix it
When you suspect that the exclamation of Ayo is to point out a mistake that you’ve already seen, you can respond with this.
Am I making a mistake?
When you are working on a task and someone exclaims Ayo suddenly, there is a high chance that a fault or some danger has been detected in your work. You can ask this question quickly to know what the issue is.
Note; the exclamation can be made as a show of surprise toward your amazing work.
It’s been a while
When a person says Ayo as a greeting, you can say It’s been a while. However, that has to be the case. It has to be someone you know whom you haven’t seen for a long time.
Saying this to a stranger can sound very creepy.