あらまあ
aramā[a̠ɾa̠ma̠ː]
The English phrase "oh me oh my" is translated into Japanese as あらまあ (aramā).
あらまあ is used to express surprise, dismay or a sense of "goodness gracious" during casual conversation.
Which one should you use?
The shorter exclamation あら is a common version used by women to express the same sentiment as the longer あらまあ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
あらまあ is typically used by women to express surprise or mild shock in informal settings. For more formal ways to express worry or surprise, you might use ああ、どうしましょう (Oh, what should I do?) or the informal ああ、どうしよう. Other informal ways to show shock or disbelief include まじで！？ (Seriously!?) and やばい！ (Oh no! Or This is bad!).
How do you pronounce it?
aramā
Did you know?
- While あらまあ is associated with women, you will often hear it spoken by elderly men in certain rural regions of Japan.
- The component まあ can be used as a filler word to bridge silences in conversation, functioning much like 'well' or 'um' in English rather than just an expression of shock.
- The word あら serves as both a standalone exclamation of surprise and a feminine particle that can soften the tone of a sentence.
Examples in context
- あらまあ、そんなこともあるのね。Ara maa, sonna koto mo aru no ne.Oh my, that kind of thing happens, doesn't it.
- あらまあ、こんなにたくさん！Ara maa, konna ni takusan!Oh my, so many!
- あらまあ、大変なことになりましたね。Ara maa, taihen na koto ni narimashita ne.Oh my, that has become quite a problem.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at a spilled box of colorful marbles.
- 美咲 Misakiあらまあ、大変！Ara maa, taihen!Oh my, what a mess!
- 蓮 Renあ、僕が落としちゃいました。A, boku ga otoshichaimashita.Ah, I dropped them.
- 美咲 Misakiあらまあ、全部散らばっちゃった。Ara maa, zenbu chirabutchatta.Oh my, they've all scattered everywhere.
- 蓮 Renすぐに片付けますね。Sugu ni katazukemasu ne.I will clean them up right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry あらまあ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
