はい、うん -How to Say Yes in Japanese
If you are planning to head to Japan and are wondering, how do you say yes in Japan? Or if you are learning Japanese there are a few words for yes in Japanese. They are:
- はい
- ええ
- うん
- そう
Depending on the context or personal preference how to say yes in Japanese will change. Let’s take a closer look at each of these words and how to say yes in the Japanese language correctly.
INDEX
Yes in Japanese
Below are the main ways to say yes in Japanese. They differ mainly in polite level and the contexts that they may be used.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/はい
はい is the first word for yes you will probably learn. It also has a lot of other contexts where you say it and you will hear it all of the time.
はい ≠ yes – What does hai mean in Japanese? Yes, no, here! uh-huh, right, here you go, I understand
This is the most polite or formal way to say yes in Japanese. I would say that it is probably also the most standard way. So, in most cases, you would not go wrong with saying はい. If you are with close friends though you may want to use a little more variety. Or depending on your intonation or how you say it may sound a little too stiff or cold in those circumstances.
ええ
Next, ええ is a more friendly, less formal but still fairly polite way to say yes when in Japan or talking with Japanese people. ええ and はい both have the same yes meaning but ええ suggests more agreement with what the speaker is saying. Or even more, rapport when used as a response during conversations.
うん
うん is the third word for yes. This is the least formal and most commonly used when you are with friends and family.
そう
そう is actually a word meaning:
- like that
- so
- in that way
When you speak with someone though and you want to affirm what they said or let them know they are correct you can say そう or even そうだ.
In response to someone, it can mean that’s right and people will often say this where you may say yes in English. If you want to say this politely you would say そうです which means the same thing as そうだ.
