なんてこった
nantekotta[nã̠nte̞ko̞t̚ta̠]
The Japanese phrase for "oh my lord" is なんてこった (nantekotta).
なんてこった is used to express shock or dismay. It functions similarly to saying "oh my lord" or "what a thing" in English.
What does it mean word for word?
In this construction, なんて means "what a…" and こと (koto) means "thing" or "matter".
Which one should you use?
The form なんてこった is a colloquial contraction. The more grammatically complete and slightly more formal version of this expression is なんてことだ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
なんてこった is a colloquial expression. It is often used by male speakers in fiction or dramatic situations to convey shock.
How do you pronounce it?
nantekotta
Did you know?
- While なんてこった is common in movies and anime, you will rarely hear Japanese people say it in real life. In actual conversation, people are more likely to use short exclamations like えっ or うそ to express the same shock.
- In dramatic scripts, this phrase is often paired with a specific gesture of slapping one's forehead or placing a hand on the cheek to emphasize the 'dismay' element of the expression.
- While English speakers might use 'oh my lord' to call upon a deity, なんてこった has no religious connection and does not involve any mention of a god or spirit.
Examples in context
- 神聖な場所に立っていると、おお神様と言いたくなる。When standing in a sacred place, one feels inclined to say "Oh my lord".
- おお主よ、私たちに力を与えてください。Oh my lord/master, please grant us strength.
- まじかよ、彼女が日本に来るんだって！Oh my lord, she's coming to Japan!
- やばい、あの映画すごくおもしろかった！Oh my lord, that movie was incredibly entertaining!
- なんてこった、財布を忘れた。Nante kotta, saifu o wasureta.Oh my lord, I forgot my wallet.
- なんてこった！雨が降ってきた。Nante kotta! Ame ga futte kita.Oh my lord! It started raining.
- なんてこった、もうこんな時間か。Nante kotta, mou konna jikan ka.Oh my lord, is it this time already?
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at a broken vase on the floor.
- 美咲 Misakiなんてこった、割れちゃった。Nante kotta, warechatta.Oh my lord, it broke.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫？怪我はなかった？Daijoubu? Kega wa nakatta?Are you okay? Were you hurt?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、でもこれ、お気に入りだったのに。Un, demo kore, okiniiri datta no ni.Yes, but this was my favorite.
- 蓮 Ren残念だけど、片付けよう。Zannen dakedo, katazukeyou.That's too bad, but let's clean it up.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry なんてこった, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
