うん

also: うむ · ううむ

う

ん

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

Casual affirmative interjection, like nodding 'yeah' or 'uh-huh'. Used in informal conversation to show agreement or that you are listening.

「明日あした、映えい画がに行いかない？」「うん、いいよ。」
"Want to go to a movie tomorrow?" "Yeah, sure."
うん、それでいいと思おもう。
Yeah, I think that's fine.

interjection

hmm; well; erm

Hesitation or thinking sound, like 'hmm' or 'well...'. Used when pausing to consider something or when slightly unsure.

うーん、ちょっと難むずかしい質しつ問もんだな。
Hmm, that's a tough question.
「これで大だい丈じょう夫ぶかな？」「うん…もう少すこし考かんがえたほうがいいかも。」
"Is this okay?" "Well... maybe we should think about it a bit more."

interjection

oof; groan

Only with reading うん

A groan or grunt of pain or effort. Restricted to the reading うん.

うん…腰こしが痛いたい。
Oof... my back hurts.

See all 106 example sentences ›

Related words· 7

ええN5sense 1
ええ is a softer, slightly more polite casual yes often used by women, whereas うん is blunter and gender-neutral.
ああN4sense 1
ああ sounds more nonchalant or masculine as a casual yeah, while うん is a neutral casual affirmative used by everyone.
んN1
うん is the standard casual 'yes', while ん is an even more reduced, grunt-like version used in very relaxed speech.
ああ
うん is the everyday casual word for 'yeah', while ああ used as an affirmative sounds blunter and more masculine.

Show 3 more

ヤー
うん is the everyday casual yes among Japanese words, while ヤー is even more informal and often used for comic or foreign-flavored effect.
然しか
うん is the common modern casual 'yeah', while 然（しか）is a rarer, old-fashioned-sounding variant with the same agreement function.
応おう
うん is a very casual affirmative used among friends, while 応 sounds blunter and more old-fashioned, often used by men in formal or fictional settings.

Opposites

ううん sense 1
ううん is the casual way to say no, directly opposing the casual yes meaning of うん.
いや
うん is the casual 'yes' that pairs with いや's casual 'no' in everyday informal conversation.
いいや
うん is a casual, affirmative 'yeah', the direct opposite of the casual negative いいや.

Politeness

はいpolite 丁寧語N5sense 1
はい is the polite, formal way to say yes, while うん is the casual version used with friends or family.

Written forms

うんUsage84%
Most common modern spelling for casual affirmation and hesitation.
うむUsage10%
Slightly more deliberate or masculine variant of うん; used for affirmation or thinking.
ウンUsage4%
ううむUsage1%
Drawn-out version for deep thought or hesitation.
ウムUsage1%
ウウムUsage<1%

Etymology

A natural vocalization; the affirmative sense likely developed from a grunt of acknowledgment. The hesitation sense is an extension of the same sound used while thinking.