Japanese word

えっと

Pronunciation

Romajietto

Meaning

  • interjectionum

Example

えっと、これは何ですか？e tto ko re wa nan de su ka

Um, what is this?

Illustration for えっと (um)

More examples

えっと、もう一度説明していただけますか。e tto mō ichi do setsu mei shi te i ta da ke ma su ka

Um, could you explain it one more time?

Core concept

Marks a moment of hesitation without ending the speaker's turn.

Common phrases

  • えっと、そうですねe tto sō de su ne

    Um, let's see

Similar words

えーē: An interjection used to pause while searching for words or organizing a response.
うーんūn: An interjection that signals hesitation while considering an answer or expressing uncertainty.

Definition in Japanese

考えをまとめる間や適切な言葉を探す間に、発話を途切れさせないために発する語。kanga e o ma to me ru ma ya teki setsu na koto ba o saga su aida ni hatsu wa o to gi re sa se na i ta me ni has su ru go

Word origin

The form えっと (etto) belongs to the Japanese hesitation interjections associated with えーと (ēto); the precise history of these forms is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • In natural conversation, えっと (etto) may be repeated when a speaker is still planning an answer while holding the floor.

Other meanings

  • uhinterjection
  • wellinterjection
  • let me seeinterjection

Word lists with this word