OK

See also: ok, ők, ök, and -ök

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oʊkeɪ/

Etymology 1

Of unclear origin. Wikipedia lists several possibilities. it may be an abbreviation of a comical spelling of "all correct" as "oll korrect", such as first appeared in print in The Boston Morning Post on March 23, 1839, as part of a fad for similar fanciful abbreviations in the United States during the late 1830s.

Alternative forms

• O.K., o.k., ok, okay
• okey-dokey
• okeh, okey
• k, 'kay, m'kay
• A-OK

Noun

OK (plural OKs)

1. endorsement; approval

   We can start as soon as we get the OK.

Synonyms

• approval, endorsement, green light, thumbs up

Translations

endorsement; approval

• Arabic: حسنًا (ḥasanan), أوكي (okey, ukey)
• Armenian: լավ (hy) (lav), բարի (hy) (bari)
• Catalan: d'acord
• Chechen: дика ду (dika du)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: OK (zh) (ōukēi), 好 (zh) (hǎo), 行 (zh) (xíng), 可以 (zh) (kěyǐ)

• Dutch: oké (nl), groen licht (nl), goedkeuring (nl)
• Estonian: OK okei, olgu, hästi (et), davai
• Finnish: OK (fi), okei
• French: OK (fr) m, accord (fr) m, feu vert (fr) m, bénédiction (fr) (colloquial)
• German: in Ordnung (de), gut (de), okay, OK
• Greek: εντάξει (el) (entáxei)
• Hebrew: הבנתי (ebánti), אוקי (he) (okéy)
• Hindi: ठीक (ṭhīk), ओके (oke)
• Hungarian: OK (hu), oké (hu)
• Italian: ok (it)
• Japanese: オーケー (ōkē), よし (ja) (yoshi), はい (ja) (hai), 分かった (わかった, wakatta), 了解 (ja) (りょうかい, ryōkai)

• Korean: 오케이 (okei), 괜찮아 (gwaenchana)
• Macedonian: в ред (v red), до́бро (dóbro), ва́жи (váži), оке́ј (okéj)
• Norwegian: alt i orden
• Pashto: ښه (ps) (ẍa)
• Polish: w porządku, okej
• Portuguese: ok (pt), certo (pt)
• Punjabi: ਠੀਕ (ṭhīk)
• Russian: ла́дно (ru) (ládno), хорошо́ (ru) (xorošó), оке́й (ru) (okéj), одобре́ние (ru) n (odobrénije), добро́ (ru) n (dobró), согла́сие (ru) n (soglásije)
• Spanish: aprobación (es), visto bueno, okey (es)
• Swedish: okej (sv)
• Thai: ก็ได้ (gôr dâi), โอเค (th) (oh-kay)
• Turkish: onay (tr), olur (tr)
• Ukrainian: оке́й (okéj), до́бре (uk) (dóbre), пра́вильне (právylʹne), гара́зд (harázd)
• Vietnamese: tốt (vi), được (vi)
• Welsh: caniatâd m

Verb

OK (third-person singular simple present OKs, present participle OKing, simple past and past participle OKed)

1. To approve.

   I don't want to OK this amount of money.

2. (computing) To confirm by activating a button marked OK.
   • 2001, Mike Collins, Pro Tools: Practical Recording, Editing and Mixing for Music Production

     Type a suitable name for your Marker and OK the dialogue box.

   • 2008, Martin Evening, Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers

     When you OK the crop, the image size will be adjusted to match the front image resolution.

Translations

approve

• French: approuver (fr), donner le/son feu vert pour (fr), donner son accord pour (fr), donner son aval pour (fr), avaliser (fr)

• Welsh: cymeradwyo (cy)

(computing) activate the OK button

• French: valider (fr)

• Welsh: clicio "iawn"

Synonyms

• approve
• greenlight

Adjective

OK (comparative more OK, superlative most OK)

1. all right, permitted

   Do you think it's OK to stay here for the night?

2. satisfactory, reasonably good; not exceptional

   The soup was OK, but the dessert was excellent.

3. in good health or a good emotional state

   He's not feeling well now, but he should be OK after some rest.

Synonyms

• (all right, permissible): allowed, all right, permissible
• (satisfactory): adequate, all right, not bad, satisfactory
• (in good health or a good emotional state): fine, well

Antonyms

• (all right, permissible): forbidden
• (satisfactory): bad, inadequate, poor, unsatisfactory
• (in good health or a good emotional state): ill, poorly, sick, under the weather, unwell

Translations

all right, permitted

• American Sign Language: O@Side-PalmForward K@Side-PalmForward
• Arabic: حسنًا (ḥasanan), صحيح (ṣaḥīḥ), طيب (Táyyib), أوكي (okey, ukey)
• Catalan: d'acord
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: OK (zh) (ōukēi), 好 (zh) (hǎo), 行 (zh) (xíng), 可以 (zh) (kěyǐ), 沒事, 没事 (zh) (méishì)

• Estonian: hästi (et), okei
• Finnish: OK (fi), okei
• French: permis (fr), bien (fr), (be OK) pouvoir (fr) (verb), (be OK) avoir le droit de (verb)
• German: Okay, OK, Gut (de)
• Hebrew: או. קיי., בסדר (beseder)
• Hindi: ओके (oke)
• Irish: ceart go leor
• Italian: (be OK) andare bene (verb)
• Japanese: オーケー (ōkē), よし (ja) (yoshi), はい (ja), 大丈夫 (ja) (だいじょうぶ, daijōbu), OK (ōkē)

• Korean: 오케 (oke)
• Lao: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: в ред (v red), до́бро (dóbro), оке́ј (okéj)
• Mongolian: болно (bolno)
• Portuguese: OK m
• Russian: ла́дно (ru) (ládno), хорошо́ (ru) (xorošó), оке́й (ru) (okéj)
• Spanish: bien (es)
• Swedish: okej (sv)
• Tagalog: sige
• Thai: โอเค (th) (oh-kay)
• Turkish: peki (tr)
• Ukrainian: оке́й (okéj), до́бре (uk) (dóbre)
• Vietnamese: được (vi), tốt (vi)
• Welsh: iawn (cy)

satisfactory

• American Sign Language: O@Side-PalmForward K@Side-PalmForward
• Cornish: da lowr
• Estonian: sobib, korras, kombes okei
• French: acceptable (fr), passable (fr), correct (fr), assez bon, plutôt bon, (be OK) pouvoir aller (verb), (be OK) pouvoir passer (verb), pas mal (fr)
• Georgian: კაი (ka) (kai)
• German: alles in Ordnung
• Korean: 괜찮다 (ko) (gwaenchanta)

• Macedonian: добар m (dóbar), океј (okéj), в ред (v red)
• Portuguese: bom (pt)
• Russian: норма́льно (ru) (normálʹno)
• Spanish: aceptable (es), bueno (es), bien (es)
• Swedish: okej (sv)
• Vietnamese: được (vi), đâu vào đấy, OK (vi)
• Welsh: iawn (cy)

in good health or in a good emotional state

• Arabic: بخير (bi-ḵayr), أوكي (okey, ukey)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 沒事, 没事 (zh) (méishì), 好 (zh) (hǎo), OK (zh) (ōukēi)

• Estonian: hästi (et)
• French: (be OK) aller bien/mieux (verb), (be OK) ça va (fr)
• Georgian: კაი (ka) (kai)
• German: in Ordnung (sein), alles in Ordnung (sein), OK,
• Hindi: ठीक (ṭhīk)
• Italian: (be OK): stare bene (verb)

• Japanese: 大丈夫 (ja) (だいじょうぶ, daijōbu), オーケー (ōkē), OK (ōkē)
• Latin: (be in good health) salvēre (verb)
• Macedonian: до́бро (dóbro), в ред (v red)
• Portuguese: bem (pt)
• Russian: быть в поря́дке (bytʹ v porjádke), всё в поря́дке (vsjó v porjádke), оке́й (ru) (okéj), ОК (okéj)
• Spanish: bien (es)
• Vietnamese: khỏe (vi)
• Welsh: iawn (cy)

Adverb

OK (comparative more OK, superlative most OK)

1. satisfactorily, sufficiently well

   The team did OK in the playoffs.

Synonyms

• (satisfactorily): adequately, satisfactorily

Antonyms

• (satisfactorily): badly, inadequately, poorly, unsatisfactorily

Translations

OK

• Dutch: oké/oke, goed
• Finnish: hyvin (fi)
• French: correctement (fr), convenablement (fr), pas mal (fr), assez bien
• Portuguese: bem (pt)

• Russian: оке́й (ru) (okéj)
• Slovene: v redu
• Swedish: okej (sv)
• Welsh: yn iawn

Interjection

OK

1. Used to indicate acknowledgement or acceptance.

   I promise to give it back. Reply: OK.

   Let's meet again this afternoon. Reply: OK.

   Shut up! Reply: OK, OK.

2. An utterance expressing exasperation, similar to "all right!"

   OK! I get it! Stop nagging me!

3. Used to introduce a sentence in order to draw attention to the importance of what is being said.

   OK, I'm thinking of a number...

Synonyms

• all right
• (sentence introduction): now, now then

Translations

acknowledgement or acceptance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 好 (zh) (hǎo), 明白了 (míngbái le), 知道了 (zh) (zhīdào le), OK (zh)

• Czech: OK (cs)
• French: OK (fr), d'accord (fr), entendu (fr)
• Georgian: კაი (ka) (kai)
• Hungarian: rendben (hu)
• Irish: ceart go leor
• Japanese: 畏まりました (kashikomarimashita) (very formal, see 分かる), 了解 (ja) (ryōkai)
• Korean: 알겠어요 (algesseoyo) (very formal, see 알다)
• Lao: please add this translation if you can

• Latin: placet
• Malay: baik, okey
• Navajo: hágoóneeʼ
• Pashto: ښه (ps) (ẍa)
• Persian: باشه (fa) (bấše)
• Portuguese: OK, tudo bem, certo (pt)
• Russian: ла́дно (ru) (ládno), хорошо́ (ru) (xorošó), оке́й (ru) (okéj)
• Spanish: vale (es), de acuerdo (es)
• Swedish: okej (sv), ok (sv), okey, visst (sv)
• Turkish: tamam (tr)
• Welsh: iawn (cy), o'r gorau

utterance expressing exasperation

• French: OK (fr), d'accord (fr), c'est bon

• Welsh: iawn (cy), o'r gorau

introduction of a sentence in order to draw attention

• French: bon (fr), OK (fr), d'accord (fr)

• Welsh: iawn (cy), o'r gorau, reit

Derived terms

term derived from OK

okay okey-dokey k

'kay m'kay A-OK kthxbye

References

• How 'OK' took over the world, Allan Metcalf, BBC News Magazine (2011 February 18)
• The ‘O’ Word, Roy Blount, Jr., The New York Times Sunday Book Review (2010 November 19)
• OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word, Allan Metcalf, Oxford University Press (2010)
• Fay, Jim (2009-06-16), "The Choctaw Expression Okeh and the Americanism Okay", URL accessed on 2012-01-16.
• Allen Read, the Expert of 'O.K.,' Dies at 96, Douglas Martin, The New York Times Obituaries (2002 October 18)
• What does "OK" stand for?, Cecil Adams, The Straight Dope (1985)

See also

• oll korrect
• Wikipedia article on "okay"
• Wikipedia article on the "OK" hand gesture
• Wikipedia article on "A-OK" and the hand gesture

Etymology 2

Proper noun

OK

1. Acronym of Oklahoma, a state of the United States of America.

Anagrams

• ko, KO

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Mandarin

Alternative forms

• 歐克 / 欧克 (ōukè) (one of the ways to transliterate into Chinese characters)

Pronunciation

Mandarin (Standard Chinese, Beijing) Pinyin ōukèi Zhuyin ㄡ ㄎㄟˋ IPA (key) /ˀoʊ̯⁵⁵ kʰeɪ̯⁵¹/

Mandarin (Standard Chinese, Beijing) Pinyin ōukēi Zhuyin ㄡ ㄎㄟ IPA (key) /ˀoʊ̯⁵⁵ kʰeɪ̯⁵⁵/

Mandarin (Standard Chinese, Beijing) Pinyin ōukè Zhuyin ㄡ ㄎㄜˋ IPA (key) /ˀoʊ̯⁵⁵ kʰɤ⁵¹/

Mandarin (Standard Chinese, Beijing) Pinyin ōukē Zhuyin ㄡ ㄎㄜ IPA (key) /ˀoʊ̯⁵⁵ kʰɤ⁵⁵/

Adjective

OK

1. all right
   • 11樓 - Page 90

     「70%咖啡 OK 嗎？」

   OK嗎？(trad.) / OK吗？(simpl.)

   OK ma?

   Is it OK?

Interjection

OK

1. OK

Usage notes

• Using Roman letters in a Chinese running text is frowned upon by many purists and not supported by language policies of Chinese speaking countries and areas but a limited number of words in Roman script in all capitals has entered Chinese dictionaries and mainstream Chinese literature.
• In transcribing speech synonyms are often used instead of "OK", e.g. 好 (hǎo).

Synonyms

• 好 (hǎo), 好的 (hǎo de)
• 行 (xíng)

See also

• 卡拉OK (kǎlā OK)

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Swedish

Adverb

OK

1. OK, okay

Synonyms

• okej

Adjective

OK

1. OK, okay

Synonyms

• okej

Interjection

OK

1. OK, okay

Synonyms

• okej