うわー
uwā
The English phrase "woah" can be expressed in Japanese as うわー (uwā).
An informal variation, うわっ, is also commonly used to convey "woah" or "wow".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal expression めっちゃ (meaning "totally" or "extremely") is typical of the Kansai region.
How do you pronounce it?
uwā
Did you know?
- While うわー expresses awe, if you want to say 'woah' to stop someone from moving toward danger, you would use the command 待て (mate) or the more polite 止まって (tomatte).
- In Japanese pop culture, particularly in manga, the length of the horizontal line following うわ is often extended to visually represent how long the character is stunned.
- When Japanese speakers are truly shocked, they may pair うわー with a hand placed over the mouth, a gesture that signifies both surprise and a desire to hide one's reaction.
Examples in context
- はい、すごいですねYes, it's amazing!
- うわっ、すごい！Woah, amazing!
- めっちゃ綺麗やん！Woah, it's extremely beautiful!
- うわー、びっくりした。uwā, bikkuri shita.Woah, you scared me.
- うわー、美味しそう！uwā, oishisō!Woah, that looks delicious!
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a large, colorful cake in a shop window.
- 結衣 Yuiうわー、見て、蓮！uwā, mite, Ren!Woah, look, Ren!
- 蓮 Ren本当に、すごく大きいね。hontō ni, sugoku ookii ne.Truly, it is very big.
- 結衣 Yuiすごく美味しそうだよ。sugoku oishisō da yo.It looks so delicious.
- 蓮 Ren結衣は甘いものが好きだもんね。Yui wa amai mono ga suki da mon ne.Well, you do love sweets, Yui.
