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あっ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

あっ

also: あ

あ

っ

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 100

Meanings

1

interjection

Expresses sudden realization, recollection, or mild surprise. Often used when something comes to mind.

あっ、財さい布ふを忘わすれた。
Ah! I forgot my wallet.
あっ、そういえば明日あしたは休やすみだ。
Oh, now that you mention it, tomorrow is a holiday.

2

interjection

Written forms

あっUsage42%
Standard hiragana spelling for this interjection.
あUsage54%
Shortened form without the glottal stop; softer or more drawn-out.
アッUsage4%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in manga.
アUsage<1%

Used to get someone's attention, often with a slight sense of urgency or calling out.

あっ、ちょっと待まって！
Hey, wait a moment!

Katakana shortened form.

アっ

Mixed-kana variant, occasionally seen in informal writing.

Similar words

ああ
ああ is a longer, more drawn-out exclamation often expressing deeper emotion, understanding, or disappointment, while あっ is short and abrupt.
えっ
えっ expresses surprise or confusion, often in response to unexpected information, whereas あっ is more about sudden realization or recollection.

Etymology

A natural exclamation; the exact origin is uncertain, but it is a basic sound-symbolic interjection common across languages.