あのう
anō[a̠no̞ː]
The Japanese phrase for "uhm" is あのう (anō).
This phrase is a filler used when a speaker is hesitating or thinking of what to say next. It can also function as a polite way to get someone's attention, similar to the English "Excuse me".
How do you pronounce it?
anō
Did you know?
- The word あの inside the phrase is originally a demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' over there, effectively pointing to an unspoken thought in the air.
- Japanese has several fillers for different states of mind, such as えーと for searching for a specific word and あのう for hesitating to start a conversation.
- The phrase あのう is often accompanied by a slight tilt of the head or a hand raised near the chin. This non-verbal cue signals to the listener that you are not ignoring them, but merely searching for words.
Examples in context
- あの… 明日の予定、どうしようかな？Uhm… I wonder what we should do tomorrow?
- ええと… ごめんなさい、失くしちゃったんですUhm… I'm sorry, but I've lost it.
- なんかなぁ… 一緒に行くのはちょっと…Uhm… Going together is a bit…
- えっと… 申し訳ありませんが、お答えできませんUhm… I'm sorry, but I cannot answer.
- あのう、すみません。Anou, sumimasen.Uhm, excuse me.
- あのう、ちょっと考えさせてください。Anou, chotto kangaesasete kudasai.Uhm, please let me think for a moment.
- あのう、これ、買ってもいいですか？Anou, kore, katte mo ii desu ka?Uhm, may I buy this?
Example conversation
Daito is asking Misaki for help with a task.
- 大翔 Hirotoあのう、美咲さん、手伝ってくれますか。Anou, Misaki-san, tetsudatte kuremasu ka.Uhm, Misaki, could you help me?
- 美咲 Misakiいいですよ。どうしましたか。Ii desu yo. Dou shimashita ka.Sure. What's wrong?
- 大翔 Hirotoこの漢字の読み方が分からないんです。Kono kanji no yomikata ga wakaranai n desu.I don't know how to read this kanji.
- 美咲 Misakiあ、それはこう読みますよ。A, sore wa kou yomimasu yo.Oh, you read it like this.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry あのう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
