Japanese word

さて

Pronunciation

Romajisate

Meaning

  • interjectionwell

Example

さて、始めましょう。sa te haji me ma shō

Well, let's begin.

Illustration for さて (well)

More examples

さて、答えを確認しましょう。sa te kota e o kaku nin shi ma shō

Well then, let's check the answer.

Core concept

Marks a shift in attention, often moving the conversation toward the next point or action.

Common phrases

  • さて、まずはsa te ma zu wa

    well, first

Similar words

さあsā: Signals readiness for an action or expresses uncertainty about the next step.

Definition in Japanese

話題や行動を次の段階へ移すときに用いる語。wa dai ya kō dō o tsugi no dan kai e utsu su to ki ni mochi i ru go

Word origin

The Japanese discourse word さて (sate) is an old connective expression recorded in classical Japanese; its exact internal origin is uncertain, but its use in moving to a new point is well established.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a filler such as "um," さて (sate) usually has a discourse purpose and is not mainly used to fill silence.

Other meanings

  • nowconjunction
  • thenconjunction

Word lists with this word