Japanese expressions how to#

Remember out first phrase (“ehhhhh?”) and how I said it sort of roughly translates to “really?” It does, but “honto?” ( 本当？) actually translates to that meaning better.

If it so happens that your guy friends say it more than your girl friends, that’s just coincidence and personal preference for the girls. I was pondering whether this phrase is used by more guys or girls, but at the end of the day, I think it’s pretty much balanced. I’d say it’s a step up from “uso?” - when you really, really, really don’t believe something and is taken aback by surprise, you use “majide?” I feel like it has a cool ring to it - maybe just my gaijin ( 外人) ears not being used to it. “Maji?” (まじ？) or “majide?” ( まじで？) - either way works, there’s actually no difference at all between the two - is kind of like saying “are you for real?” or “are you serious?” 'Majika?' (まじか？) works just the same, too. This one’s my personal favourite even though I don’t use it as often as I want to. The way to use “suge!” is exactly the same as “sugoi ne”, so that’s pretty simple right? 6. Most of the time, “suge!” is used by guys rather than girls as they tend to avoid sounding harsh and risk being less feminine. It takes the word “sugoi” and kind of change it to have a more masculine tone. Yup, you guessed it - “suge!” (すげー！) is the slang form of our previous reaction phrase. Usually, it’s said with a cheerful tone, but if it’s not with it, it kind of sounds just a little bit sarcastic. For example, your friend just found out that she got a whole month off of work so she’s booking a spontaneous trip overseas! That sounds great, doesn’t it? React with “sugoi ne!” Then, she comes back from her trip with a beautiful tan and a new hairstyle - looks so good, right? Tell her that by saying “sugoi ne!” This phrase can have a less positive impact depending on how you say it.

The phrase actually consists of the word “sugoi” ( すごい)to mean great and “ne” (ね) as an attachment at the end for a softer tone. It can be a reaction to someone speaking to you or just an exclamation if you see something randomly that caught your attention. Say “sugoi ne!” (すごいね！) when you feel happy for your friend or find something pretty great. I guess that’s the best way of explaining this phrase. That’s definitely a lie.” In Japanese, you cut it short and just say, “uso?” It’s like calling out someone for lying but in a joking way.in the form of a reaction. Let’s say your friend told you that they went swimming with sharks, does that sound believable? In English, you’d go, “nah, that’s not true. This phrase actually consists of the word “lie” in Japanese, but “uso?” (うそー？) is kind of like saying “nah, you’re lying to me.” It’s a step up from “uwaa!” when it comes to the surprising factor. An example can be of a recent usage personally - when someone told me that they tried surfing for the first time this summer, and I was pretty amazed and surprised that I automatically reacted with “uwaa!” 3. It’s like you can’t believe what you heard, or something that someone did is impressive. Unlike the first one, “uwaa” can’t really be dragged out too much - actually, I don’t think I heard anyone drag it out at all, rather the opposite: cut short, like “uwa-!” (うわー！) Similar to how you would use “wow” in English, this reaction phrase is used when someone told you something surprising or amazing. The next on our list is “uwaa!” (うわ〜！) This expression can be translated roughly to “wow” in English. It’s kind of like “really?” in English but with a bit of the shock factor - just a bit, like a sprinkle. Your friend told you she just got a new dress: “Ehhhh?” Your housemate cooked a big meal for everyone: “Ehhhhh?” You woke up late: “Ehhhh?” As I said, it’s multi-purpose. The first one on the list - and the phrase that inspired this whole article - is the classic “ehhhhhhh?” It’s pronounced as “え”, but extremely exaggerated: “えーーーー？” I guess how long you drag it out depends on how shocked you are by what you’re told? I hear this everywhere - on the streets, at a restaurant, even in the ladies’ toilet! It’s pretty much the go-to reaction response to anything.

Some of them are pretty unique - so much that it’s pretty much part of the Japanese culture! So without further ado, let’s dive headfirst into the top 10 common Japanese reaction phrases! 1.

If you’ve ever watched an episode of an anime or Japanese drama, you probably have heard at least one on this list. The Japanese people have a whole different way of reacting actually, a couple of ways.

Japanese expressions how to#

A reaction is natural and automatic - if someone said something surprising, our first response would be somewhere along the lines of “are you serious?” or “really?” For native and fluent English speakers, we didn’t really need to consciously learn how to react - it just comes out naturally.