よー

also: よう · よお

Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

interjection

hey; yo; hi

familiar language

Casual, friendly call to get someone's attention or greet them. Often used among friends or in informal situations.

よー、元げん気きか？
Hey, how are you?
よー、久ひさしぶりだな！
Yo, long time no see!

particle

come on; hey

Empathetic, urging particle; a lengthened, more emotional version of よ. Used to strongly encourage, warn, or draw attention in a friendly or familiar way.

Usage patterns

〈動どう詞し〉てよーcome on, [do the verb]! (friendly urging or pleading)
早はやく来きてよー。
Come on, hurry up and come!

Related words

よ sense 2
よ is the plain sentence-ending particle for emphasis or assertion, while よー is a lengthened, more emotional or friendly version of the same particle.
やあ sense 1
やあ is a simple casual greeting like 'hi', while よー can be used the same way but also doubles as an emphatic urging particle.
おい sense 1
おい is a blunter, often male-associated call for attention, whereas よー sounds friendlier and is used more casually among peers of any gender.

Written forms

よおUsage55%
Variant spelling with お; also represents the lengthened sound.
ようUsage40%
Standard hiragana spelling; less emphatic than よー.
ヨーUsage4%

Etymology

Lengthened form of the interjection/particle よ, used for added emphasis or friendliness. The exact origin of よ itself is uncertain, but it has been used as a sentence-final particle since at least the Edo period.