ええと
ēto[e̞ːto̞]
The Japanese phrase for "umm" is ええと (ēto).
ええと is a neutral filler word used when you are searching for a word or a piece of information, or when you are hesitating while thinking.
Which one should you use?
While ええと is used primarily for thinking, the word あの is often used to get someone's attention or to signal a hesitation when starting a sentence. For expressing uncertainty or buying time in an informal way, you might use なんていうか, which means "how should I put it" or "let's see".
How do you pronounce it?
ēto
Did you know?
- In many professional Japanese environments, silence is often preferred over using a filler like ええと, as a complete pause is seen as a sign of deep, careful thought rather than a lack of knowledge.
- Japanese speakers sometimes use a sharp intake of breath through the mouth as a non-verbal version of 'umm' to signal they are about to begin speaking.
- If you want to sound more polite while pausing, you can replace ええと with あのう, which softens the hesitation and sounds less abrupt to the listener.
Examples in context
- あのう、ちょっとお聞きしたいのですが…Well, I have a question…
- ええと、ちょっと待ってください。Um, please wait a moment.
- えーと、それってどういう意味？Um, what does that mean?
- なんていうか、あれはちょっと…Well, that thing is a bit…
- ええと、明日の時間は大丈夫ですか？Eeto, ashita no jikan wa daijoubu desu ka?Umm, is the time for tomorrow okay?
- ええと、名前は何でしたっけ？Eeto, namae wa nan deshita kke?Umm, what was your name again?
- ええと、それはちょっと難しいです。Eeto, sore wa chotto muzukashii desu.Umm, that is a little difficult.
Example conversation
Daito and Himari are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日のランチは何にする？Kyou no ranchi wa nani ni suru?What should we have for lunch today?
- 陽葵 Himariええと、パスタかカレーがいいかな。Eeto, pasuta ka karee ga ii kana.Umm, maybe pasta or curry.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ。カレーにしようか。Ii yo. Karee ni shiyou ka.Sounds good. Let's go with curry.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、それにしよう！Un, sore ni shiyou!Yeah, let's do that!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ええと, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
