よっ
yoslang, very short
A slangy "hi" in Japanese is よっ (yo), a quick sound with a short vowel. Young men also say うぃっす (uissu) and おっす (ossu).
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| よっ | yo | slang, very short |
| うぃっす | uissu | slang, young men |
| おっす | ossu | slang, mostly male |
よっ (yo) is used when you spot a friend and raise a hand. うぃっす (uissu) and おっす (ossu) are relaxed forms of respectful greetings that turned into friendly slang.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
All of these are only for friends. They may sound sloppy if used with someone older.
How do you pronounce it?
Say よっ (yo) with a short stop at the end, like "yoh!"
Did you know?
- The word おっす (ossu) is often linked to おはようございます (ohayou gozaimasu) as a short form, but its origin is debated.
Examples in context
- よっ、元気?Yo, genki?Hey, how are you?
- うぃっす、お疲れ。Uissu, otsukare.Hey, good work today.
- おっす、今日も頑張ろうぜ。Ossu, kyou mo ganbarou ze.Hey, let's give it our best today.
Example conversation
Takuya and Shota meet before a soccer practice.
- Takuyaよっ、ショウタ。Yo, Shouta.Hey, Shota.
- Shotaうぃっす。調子どう?Uissu. Choushi dou?Hey. How are you doing?
- Takuyaまあまあ。Maamaa.So-so.
