Translation guide
An informal way to say 'yes' in English. In Japanese, the equivalent varies by formality, gender, and context. Direct translation is often unnatural; learners should choose based on the situation.
Express casual 'yes' or agreement in informal conversation.
The most common casual 'yeah' in Japanese. Used in relaxed, friendly conversation. Can be repeated (うんうん) to show active listening.
"Wanna go to a movie tomorrow?" "Yeah, sure."
A slightly more mature or feminine casual 'yeah'. Common among adults in informal settings. Not as blunt as うん.
「コーヒー飲む？」「ええ、いただきます。」
"Want some coffee?" "Yeah, I'd love some."
A casual, often masculine 'yeah'. Can sound a bit gruff or indifferent. Used among close friends.
「宿題やった？」「ああ、やったよ。」
"Did you do the homework?" "Yeah, I did."
Literally 'that's right', used as a casual 'yeah' to confirm or agree. Often with だよ/だね.
「これ君の？」「そう。」
"Is this yours?" "Yeah."
Express strong agreement, like 'yeah!' or 'oh yeah!'.
Emphatic 'yeah, that's right!' Used to strongly confirm something.
「本当に大丈夫？」「そうだよ、心配しないで。」
"Are you really okay?" "Yeah, don't worry."
Means 'of course', used like 'yeah, definitely!'.
「手伝ってくれる？」「もちろん！」
"Can you help me?" "Yeah, of course!"
Literally 'good, isn't it', used as an enthusiastic 'yeah!' when agreeing to a suggestion.
Express 'yes' in polite or formal situations, equivalent to a polite 'yeah'.
The standard polite 'yes'. Used in formal settings, with strangers, or when showing respect. Not exactly 'yeah' but the closest polite equivalent.
「お名前は田中さんですか？」「はい、そうです。」
"Are you Mr. Tanaka?" "Yes, that's right."
A polite but softer 'yes', used in semi-formal situations. Can be used with はい level politeness but sounds more gentle.
「コーヒーでよろしいですか？」「ええ、結構です。」
"Is coffee alright?" "Yes, that's fine."
Use 'yeah?' to respond when someone calls your name, or to ask 'yeah?' meaning 'what is it?'.
Standard response when called. Can be used in both casual and polite contexts.
「田中さん！」「はい。」
"Tanaka-san!" "Yeah?"
A very casual 'huh?' or 'yeah?' when you didn't hear or want to know what's up. Often with rising intonation.
「ねえ、ちょっと。」「ん？」
"Hey." "Yeah?"
Literally 'what?', used casually like 'yeah?' when responding to a call. Can sound blunt.
「おい！」「なに？」
"Hey!" "Yeah?"
Use 'yeah' to show you're listening, like 'uh-huh' or 'yeah, yeah'.
The most common backchannel. Repeated うんうん shows active listening.
「昨日ね、すごいことがあって…」「うんうん。」
"Yesterday, something amazing happened..." "Yeah, yeah."
Polite backchannel, used in formal conversations or with superiors.
「先日の会議ですが…」「はい。」
"Regarding the meeting the other day..." "Yeah."
Soft backchannel, often used by women or in polite casual settings.
「それでね…」「ええ。」
"And then..." "Yeah."
Express disbelief or sarcasm, like 'yeah, right' or 'as if'.
Literally 'lie', used like 'no way!' or 'yeah, right!' to express disbelief.
「宝くじ当たったんだ。」「うそ！」
"I won the lottery." "Yeah, right!"
Expresses 'no way' or 'you must be kidding', similar to sarcastic 'yeah, right'.
Means 'impossible', used like 'yeah, as if!'.
Using うん or ああ in a business meeting or with a superior can sound rude. Stick to はい or ええ in polite situations.
部長：「この書類、明日までに頼むよ。」あなた：「はい、承知しました。」
Manager: "I need these documents by tomorrow." You: "Yeah, understood."
うん is the most neutral casual 'yeah'. ええ is slightly softer and often used by women or in polite casual speech. ああ is more masculine and can sound blunt. Choose based on your relationship and the impression you want to give.
そう (or そうだよ/そうですね) is a natural way to agree with a statement, similar to 'yeah, that's right'. It's often better than a direct 'yes' when confirming facts.
"Let's go to the beach sometime." "Yeah, sounds great!"
"He says he's quitting." "Yeah, right."
"I'll finish by tomorrow." "Yeah, right."