あのね

also: あのねえ · あんね · あのさ · あのさあ

あ

の

ね

Common word

Meanings

interjection

listen; look here; well; hold on

familiar languagefemale term, language, or name

Familiar interjection used to get someone's attention, open a remark, soften a correction, or ask the listener to wait. It is familiar and female-associated; in practice あのね often sounds soft or childlike, while あのさ is casual and conversational. Avoid in formal speech.

あのね、ちょっと聞きいてほしいことがあるの。
Listen, there's something I want you to hear.
あのさ、今日きょうは先さきに帰かえってもいい？
Hey, is it okay if I go home first today?
あのねえ、そんな言いい方かたはよくないよ。
Look, that's not a good way to say it.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Related words

あのN5
あの is a more general hesitation or attention-getting filler usable in many situations, while あのね is more intimate and conversational, often used to introduce a confidence.
姉ねえ
ねえ calls for the listener's attention like あのね, but あのね more strongly signals that the speaker is about to explain or confide something.
ちょっとN5
ちょっと can mean 'excuse me' or 'hold on' in casual interaction, but it lacks the soft, topic-opening feel that あのね has.

Written forms

あのねえ
Lengthened casual variant, often sounding more drawn-out, hesitant, or emphatic.
あんね
Contracted colloquial variant of あのね, used in familiar speech.
あのさ
Casual variant with さ; often a little more direct or conversational than あのね.
あのさあ
Lengthened casual variant of あのさ, used when drawing out the opening of a remark.

Etymology

A conversational expression built from the hesitation/attention word あの plus the sentence-final or attention particle ね; variants use lengthening, contraction, or the casual particle さ. The exact historical development is not specified.