“Um, maybe later because the class is starting now.”

These filler words may be used multiple times in one sentence.Įtto, ima kara jugyō ga hajimaru kara, ato de ne. While ええと ( eeto) and えー ( ē) can be used both casually and in formal situations-such as in an official speech or a business presentation-えっと ( etto) should only be used casually. You can use it to indicate that you’re pausing to think or to precede something that you’re hesitant to say. This is one of the most common Japanese filler words. Top 10 Japanese Filler Words #1 ええと ( eeto) / えっと ( etto) / えー ( ē)Įnglish Equivalents: “er” / “err” / “uh” / “um” The most frequently used Japanese filler words are あのー ( anō), meaning “um…” / “er…,” and ええと ( eeto…), meaning “well…” 2. In the following section, we’ll go into more detail about the usage of each commonly used Japanese filler word. Others are only used by young people or thoughtless adults and are referred to as 若者言葉 ( wakamono kotoba) or “young people’s words.” Fillers that fall into this category include てゆーか ( te yū ka) and てかさー ( teka sā). That said, some of them-such as あの ( ano) and その ( sono)-can also be used in formal/official situations. How are they used in Japanese?įiller words in Japanese are used in almost the same way as those in English.

…provide clues about the speaker’s emotions or behaviors.įiller words are used to fill the little pauses in conversations.

…speak more indirectly in order to be polite.

This signals to the other party that they should keep listening rather than take their turn to speak.įillers can also be used for a variety of other purposes, depending on the context. As mentioned, filler words are most often used to let the other party know that you’re thinking about what to say next and that you’re not finished speaking. In English, commonly used filler words and sounds include:Īlthough filler words and sounds add no particular meaning to the speaker’s statement, they do have a function in speech. Table of Contentsįiller words are short words or sounds used to fill pauses in conversations, usually to let the other party know you’re not done speaking yet. ええと・・・ (eeto…) – “umm…” You can use this Japanese filler when you’re thinking.

→ If you’re looking for more ways to make your Japanese sound more natural, why not learn a few Japanese idioms or funny Japanese expressions? In this article, we’ll introduce the top 10 Japanese filler words, explain the characteristics and functions of each, and discuss the pros and cons of using them. The key is to use them naturally and effectively. But while filler words can help your speech sound more natural, overusing them can be annoying or leave an undesirable impression of you on others. Once you master Japanese filler words and start using them in conversations, you’ll begin to sound more and more like a native speaker.

Japanese filler words are small words or sounds often used to fill pauses in conversation, emphasize a point, soften a statement, and so on. But once a language student begins to practice what they’ve learned in the real world, it’s not long until they encounter a number of unfamiliar expressions in the spoken language.įiller words are a great example of this. When learning a foreign language, one studies the phrases and grammar rules laid out in their textbook or taught in the classroom.

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