English–Japanese

“tangent” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajiyodan

Example

少し余談を話します。suko shi yo dan o hana shi ma su

I will go off on a brief tangent.

Illustration for 余談 (tangent)

How to say “tangent” in Japanese

“Tangent” in Japanese is 余談 (yodan).

Refers to an additional remark that temporarily moves a conversation away from its central subject.

Full entry for 余談: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 余談

話が余談にそれましたが、本題に戻りましょう。hanashi ga yo dan ni so re ma shi ta ga hon dai ni modo ri ma shō

The conversation went off on a tangent, but let's return to the main topic.

Tips for using 余談

  • 余談ですが (yodan desu ga) can soften a shift to a related aside by showing that the speaker knows it is not the main topic.

“tangent” in other languages