Japanese word

ああ

Pronunciation

Romajiā

Meaning

  • interjectionoh!, oh

Example

ああ、そうですか。ā sō de su ka

Oh, I see.

Illustration for ああ (oh!)

More examples

ああ、楽しいです！ā tano shi i de su

Oh, this is fun!

ああ、思い出しました。ā omo i da shi ma shi ta

Oh, I remember now.

Core concept

Expresses that the speaker has just understood or accepted something, while also serving as a brief reaction to an event.

Common phrases

  • ああ、なるほどā na ru ho do

    Oh, I see

Similar words

うんun: A casual affirmative response that shows acceptance or agreement.
なるほどnaruhodo: Expresses that new information now makes sense.
あっa: Marks the sudden noticing of something.
ええē: Gives a gentle affirmative response to another speaker.

Definition in Japanese

相手の話や目の前の事柄を理解したり受け入れたりしたときに発する語。ai te no hanashi ya me no mae no koto gara o ri kai shi ta ri u ke i re ta ri shi ta to ki ni has su ru go

Word origin

The historical origin of ああ (ā) is unclear; its written form repeats the hiragana あ (a), a pattern used for its extended sound.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, ああ (ā) can stand alone as a brief response or lead into a longer reply, depending on the speaker's intonation.

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