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.
A casual, often masculine 'yeah'. Can sound a bit gruff or indifferent. Used among close friends.
Literally 'that's right', used as a casual 'yeah' to confirm or agree. Often with だよ/だね.
Express strong agreement, like 'yeah!' or 'oh yeah!'.
Emphatic 'yeah, that's right!' Used to strongly confirm something.
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.
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.
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.
Express disbelief or sarcasm, like 'yeah, right' or 'as if'.
Literally 'lie', used like 'no way!' or 'yeah, right!' to express disbelief.
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.
"Want some coffee?" "Yeah, I'd love some."
"Did you do the homework?" "Yeah, I did."
"Is this yours?" "Yeah."
"Are you really okay?" "Yeah, don't worry."
Means 'of course', used like 'yeah, definitely!'.
"Can you help me?" "Yeah, of course!"
Literally 'good, isn't it', used as an enthusiastic 'yeah!' when agreeing to a suggestion.
"Let's go to the beach sometime." "Yeah, sounds great!"
「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.
"Is coffee alright?" "Yes, that's fine."
「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.
"Hey." "Yeah?"
Literally 'what?', used casually like 'yeah?' when responding to a call. Can sound blunt.
"Hey!" "Yeah?"
「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.
"Regarding the meeting the other day..." "Yeah."
Soft backchannel, often used by women or in polite casual settings.
"And then..." "Yeah."
「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'.
"He says he's quitting." "Yeah, right."
Means 'impossible', used like 'yeah, as if!'.
"I'll finish by tomorrow." "Yeah, right."
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.