What is an English counterpart to the Japanese signal word, “Dokkoisho” uttered unconsciously in such case as sitting down on the bench?
When you get old, it becomes tough to move your body. We Japanese, particularly old people and the middle-aged use to utter a signal word or interjection, “Dokkoisho” when we sit down on the chair, bench or stone on the roadside and when holding up a bulky and heavy thing like heavy luggage. It sounds like a kind of sigh or onomatopoeia.
It may be similar to ‘upsy-daisy,’ but “Dokkoisho” is addressed to yourself as a monologue, and seldom used by young people or people who are in the prime of age. When you start to say “Dokkoisho” in taking any motion, it’s a sign that you’re getting old. It has a tone of both “Relax” and “Be aware of the action now you are taking.”
I’m curious to know if there are counterpart words to “Dokkoisho” in English.