なんてこった
nantekotta[nã̠nte̞ko̞t̚ta̠]
The English phrase "oh my gosh" can be translated into Japanese as なんてこった (nantekotta).
なんてこった is used to express surprise, dismay or disbelief regarding a sudden or unexpected situation.
Meaning: oh my God (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of なんて (what a/such a) and こった, which is a contraction of koto da (meaning thing, matter or situation), literally translating to "what a thing (has happened)".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
なんてこった is a colloquial expression that can sound somewhat dramatic or masculine. It is frequently found in fiction or used when a person is expressing genuine shock.
How do you pronounce it?
nantekotta
Did you know?
- While 'oh my gosh' in English is often a euphemism to avoid saying 'God', なんてこった does not involve any religious references at all.
- While なんてこった sounds natural in movies or manga, saying it in a polite business setting might make you sound like a character in a dramatic play.
- If you want to sound more feminine or gentle while expressing surprise, you would replace the masculine なんてこった with なんてことでしょう.
Examples in context
- すごい！My friend surprised me with a birthday gift.
- わあ！Look at that incredible view!
- うわっ！I won the lottery!
- なんてこった、鍵を忘れた。Nante kotta, kagi o wasureta.Oh my gosh, I forgot my keys.
- なんてこった！そんなはずじゃなかったのに。Nante kotta! Sonna hazu janakatta noni.Oh my gosh! It wasn't supposed to be like this.
- なんてこった、雨が降ってきたよ。Nante kotta, ame ga futte kita yo.Oh my gosh, it started raining.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are looking at a broken vase in the living room.
- 健太 Kentaなんてこった、割れてしまった！Nante kotta, warete shimatta!Oh my gosh, it broke!
- 結衣 Yui大丈夫？怪我はない？Daijoubu? Kega wa nai?Are you okay? Are you hurt?
- 健太 Kentaうん、僕は大丈夫だよ。Un, boku wa daijoubu da yo.Yeah, I'm okay.
- 結衣 Yuiよかった。片付けを手伝うね。Yokatta. Katazuke o tetsudau ne.That's a relief. I'll help you clean it up.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry なんてこった, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
