Eight different ways to say "yes" in Japanese

"Yes" is one of the first things you'll learn in any language. Thankfully, it's pretty easy to say in Japanese.

In this article we'll cover several of the most common ways to say yes, including:

はい (hai), the simplest way to say yes

The most straightforward and common way to say "yes" in Japanese is はい​ (hai). It can be used in almost any situation, whether formal or informal. You can use はい when you're answering a question, agreeing to a statement, or simply as a verbal acknowledgement that you're listening to someone. You can't really go wong with はい: it's a versatile and polite response.

How do you write "yes" in Japanese?

Japanese juggles three alphabets at once: the hiragana, katakana, and kanji (Chinese characters). Thankfully, はい is pretty straightforward: it consists of two hiragana characters, shown below:

If you're new to Japanese, you can recognize that these are hiragana characters because they are so curvy. Katakana (カタカナ​) are much more angular, and kanji () are much more complex and blocky.

How do you pronounce "yes" in Japanese?

If you don't care too much about pronunciation, it's enough to know that はい​ sounds pretty close to English's "hi". When you want to say yes in Japanese, just say "hi" and Japanese people will understand you.

If you want to pronounce it more accurately, here are a few little details to help you sound more natural:

Listen to the recording of はい​ a few more times, each time doing your best to focus on one of the above points. The first step to improving your accent in a foreign language is simply learning to listen!

Four more casual ways to say yes

うん (un)

Next, うん​ is an informal and colloquial way to say "yes." It's similar in meaning to はい, but is used in casual conversations, especially among close friends or family members.

This is a great word to know, and so long as you avoid using it in the workplace or with strangers, you should be fine!

そう (sou)

When you want to confirm that something is correct or that you agree with what someone else has said, say そう​. This nuance in mind, it's often employed in response to statements, but not in response to direct questions.

You may also hear そう​です​ (sou desu) and そうですね​ (sou desu ne) . Both of these words mean pretty much the same thing as そう​, but their nuance is slightly different. The addition of です makes そう​です​ more polite than そう​, and the sentence-ending particle ね in そうですね​ just adds a stronger feeling of agreement.

Note: そう​ appears in several grammar points, so you might sometimes see it in the middle of a sentence or somewhere you don't expect.

ええ (ehh)

Perhaps the easiest one on the list, ええ​ is slightly less formal than はい​ and is often used in casual conversations. ええ​ conveys a relaxed and agreeable tone, making it suitable to use with friends, family, and in less formal settings.

もちろん (mochiron)

Finally, もちろん​ (mochiron) is used when you want to strongly affirm something, expressing that the answer is obvious or a given. It’s a confident and sometimes emphatic way to say "yes", akin to saying "of course" in English.

Three more nuanced ways to say yes

了解 (ryoukai), a more professinal way to say "yes"

The phrase 了解(りょうかい) is often used in professional or formal settings to indicate that you've understood a command, instruction, or request and will comply with it. It’s akin to saying "Roger" or "understood" in English, and it carries a sense of acknowledgment and agreement.

Given that this is a more formal expression, you can also expect to hear 了解(りょうかい)です​ (ryoukai desu) or 了解(りょうかい)しました​ (ryoukai shimashita) , which mean the same thing as 了解(りょうかい) but are a little more polite, and are thus suitable for use with colleagues.

If you are talking with your boss or somebody much older than you, you can instead say 畏(かしこ)まりました​ (kashikomarimashita) , which is an honorific phrase that means the same thing as 了解(りょうかい).

大丈夫 (daijoubu), a prase that can mean yes and no

大丈夫(だいじょうぶ) is a versatile word that can be used to reassure someone or to indicate that something is acceptable.

This word literally means something like "I'm fine", so depending on the situation, it can actually mean yes or no.

構わない (kamawanai), a stiffer/more distant confirmation

The phrase 構(かま)わない​ is used to express that something is okay or acceptable with you. It has a nuance of giving someone permission to do something, or telling them not to worry. Translating the word literally, you're saying that something of no concern to you or that you're indifferent to the result.

This is a normal expression and is perfectly OK to use when you want to express that something is OK or that you don't care — such as if someone asks if they can sit next to you on the train. "Yeah that's fine / I don't care."

Just like in English, though, you have to be careful with 構(かま)わない​. If you're in a rough situation with your partner and, upset, they ask if they should stay or go, and you say 構(かま)わない​... well, that's going to hurt.

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