Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ああ | aa | [a̠ː] (narrow) | |
| あら | ara | [a̠ɾa̠] (narrow) | |
| おや | oya | [o̞ja̠] (narrow) | |
| へえ | hee | [he̞ː] (narrow) | |
| お | o | [o̞] (narrow) | |
| あ | a | [a̠] (narrow) | |
| まあ | maa | [ma̠ː] (narrow) | feminine |
These words are used to express various-sized reactions of surprise, realization or interest. For instance, the short form あ is commonly used when one suddenly realizes something or notices a sudden change in the environment. If you are expressing shock, amazement or strong surprise in an informal setting, you might use うわっ.
Which one should you use?
The different forms signal different emotions and social roles. While many forms express general surprise, へえ is specifically used to express interest or being impressed by new information. For mild surprise, あら is typically used by female speakers, whereas おや is a more gender-neutral or slightly masculine-leaning expression of mild surprise or noticing something unexpected. まあ is often used by female speakers to express surprise, admiration or even dismay.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form まあ is often used by female speakers. The form あら is typically used by female speakers to express mild surprise. The form うわっ is an informal exclamation used to express surprise, shock or amazement.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
aa
Did you know?
- The interjection ああ is actually a doubled version of the distal demonstrative pronoun あ, which is used to point to something far away from both the speaker and the listener.
- The word まあ can function as a 'softener' at the start of a sentence to make a statement or a complaint sound less blunt and more polite.
- The interjection おや is frequently used in literature and classic cinema to characterize a person as being older, refined or slightly eccentric.
Examples in context
- まあ、本当？Oh no, really?This sentence uses まあ to express a reaction of surprise.Tatoeba #195833 by small_snow, translation #33007 by AlanF_US
- あ、停電だ。Oh, the electricity has gone off.This sentence shows how あ is used when noticing a sudden change in the environment.Tatoeba #234768 by bunbuku, translation #2762787 by CK
- 見せてあげる。Oh, let me show you.This sentence demonstrates the use of あ as a conversational interjection.Tatoeba #175189 by bunbuku, translation #239277 by CM
- あら、お客様が来ましたよ！Oh, the guest has arrived!
- おお、素晴らしい花火ですね！Oh, what a splendid fireworks display!
- まあ、そうですか。Oh, I see.
- あれ、本当に大丈夫？Oh, are you really okay?
- うわっ、すごい景色だ！Oh, what an amazing view!
- あ、そういうことだったんだ。Oh, so that's what it meant.
- 158 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are looking at a new piece of technology.
- 美咲 Misakiああ、これは新しいモデルなんだ。Aa, kore wa atarashii moderu nanda.Oh, this is the new model.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当にすごい機能を持っているね。Hontou ni sugoi kinou o motte iru ne.It really has amazing features.
- 美咲 Misakiデザインもすごく洗練されているよ。Dezain mo sugoku senren sarete iru yo.The design is also very sophisticated.
- 大翔 Hiroto僕もこれに興味があるよ。Boku mo kore ni kyoumi ga aru yo.I am interested in this too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oh” translations and entries ああ, あら, おや, へえ, お, あ, まあ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ああ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
