あら
ara[a̠ɾa̠]
The English phrase "oh my" can be translated into Japanese as あら (ara).
あら is an exclamation used to express mild surprise, realization or dismay at a sudden discovery.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
あら is a feminine expression. Other informal ways to express surprise or disbelief include まじで (meaning "Seriously?" or "No way!") and うそでしょ (meaning "You're kidding, right?" or "No way").
How do you pronounce it?
ara
When do people say it?
This expression is characteristically used by women.
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese media, such as anime or manga, the exclamation あら is frequently used as a linguistic shorthand to instantly signal that a female character is elegant, mature, or 'refined'.
- While あら is feminine, men may use it when speaking to children or pets to sound gentle and affectionate.
- The expression あら can actually be part of the word for 'rough' or 'wild', which is あら (written with different kanji), though they are pronounced identically.
Examples in context
- あらぁ、トムのカバンがこんなところに。Oh my, Tom's bag is in a place like this.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use あら when discovering something unexpected, like a bag in a strange place.Tatoeba #10141201 by small_snow, translation #10300857 by terrywallwork
- あらまあ、ホント、全く知らなんだ。Oh my, you're right, I didn't know that at all.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use あら to express realization or dismay regarding something unknown.Tatoeba #74670 by fcbond, translation #329049 by fcbond
- あらまあ、それは驚きですね。Oh my, that's surprising!
- まじで？それは信じられない。Seriously? That's unbelievable!
- うそでしょ？本当にそうなの？You're kidding, right? Is that really true?
- まじで？かわいすぎる！Seriously? It's too cute!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui sees Yota carrying many heavy shopping bags.
- 結衣 Yuiあら、そんなにたくさん買ってきたの？Ara, sonna ni takusan katte kita no?Oh my, did you buy that much?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、少し買いすぎちゃったかな。Un, sukoshi kaisugichatta kana.Yeah, I might have bought a bit too much.
- 結衣 Yui荷物が重そうね、手伝うわ。Nimotsu ga omosou ne, tetsudau wa.The bags look heavy, I'll help you.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとう、助かるよ。Arigatou, tasukaru yo.Thanks, that helps a lot.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry あら, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
