How to say "yes" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- interjectionThe polite, all-purpose affirmative: use it to answer questions, agree, or confirm that something is correct whenever politeness is called for, as with strangers or superiors.
- interjectionA softer, conversational 'yes', lighter than はい: use it to agree or confirm in relaxed spoken exchanges where a full はい would feel overly formal.
- interjectionThe casual 'yeah' or 'uh huh': use it with friends and family in relaxed conversation; it is too casual for polite situations such as with strangers or superiors.
- interjectionA katakana interjection for the bare affirmative 'yes'. For answering or agreeing, はい, ええ, and うん are the natural choices, so this is seldom the word you want.
- interjectionNot a true 'yes' at all: it is a shout of joy — 'hooray!', 'yay!' — used when something has gone well, so for answering or agreeing it is seldom the word you want.
For agreement, choose 「はい」 in polite settings, 「ええ」 for a softer spoken yes, 「うん」 for casual 'yeah' with friends; 「ウィ」 is seldom the word you want, and 「やった」 is a cheer of joy, not an answer.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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