なんてこった
nantekotta[nã̠nte̞ko̞t̚ta̠]
なんてこった (nantekotta) is the Japanese way to say "what the heck".
なんてこった is an exclamation used to express surprise, shock or frustration. It is typically used when something unexpected or problematic occurs, functioning similarly to the English expressions "what the heck" or "oh boy".
Meaning: softer form of "what the hell" (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a contraction of nante koto da. In this structure, nante expresses surprise and koto means thing or matter.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This is an informal expression used to react to a situation.
How do you pronounce it?
nantekotta
Did you know?
- While なんてこった is common in dubbed movies and manga to translate 'what the heck', you will rarely hear native speakers use it in real-life casual conversation.
- Depending on the tone, なんてこった can shift from expressing total horror to a lighthearted 'oh well', without changing a single letter.
- The phrase なんてこった sounds much more dramatic or even old-fashioned than it actually is, often making it sound like something a character in a manga or a classic film might shout.
Examples in context
- なんてこった。What the heck!This sentence demonstrates how to use なんてこった as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #10908782 by small_snow, translation #10930753 by Ag12x
- なんてこった、鍵を忘れた。Nante kotta, kagi o wasureta.What the heck, I forgot my keys.
- なんてこった、雨が降ってきた。Nante kotta, ame ga futte kita.What the heck, it started raining.
Example conversation
Ren finds a mysterious letter on the table.
- 蓮 Renなんてこった、これ何？Nante kotta, kore nani?What the heck, what is this?
- 結衣 Yui分からない、急に届いたの。Wakaranai, kyuu ni todoita no.I don't know, it arrived suddenly.
- 蓮 Ren名前も書いていないよ。Namae mo kaite inai yo.There isn't even a name written on it.
- 結衣 Yuiちょっと怖いね。Chotto kowai ne.That's a little scary.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry なんてこった, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
