Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| わあ | wā |
| すごい！ | sugoi |
These terms are used to express amazement, wonder or excitement.
Which one should you use?
わあ is an interjection used to express a sudden emotional reaction like surprise or wonder. In contrast, すごい is an adjective used to describe the quality of something as amazing or extraordinary.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual settings or expressing excitement, you can use the informal exclamation すごい！ If you are speaking to a superior or a stranger and want to express amazement politely, use the polite form すごいですね. For a very formal way to express being surprised or taken aback, you can use 驚きました. The slang term やばい！ is also used to convey excitement or astonishment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective すごい can be conjugated into the past tense すごかった to express that something was amazing.
How do you pronounce it?
wā
When do people say it?
Speakers may also use the interjection おお！ to express surprise, amazement or joy.
Did you know?
- The word すごい originally meant 'terrifying' or 'frightening' in classical Japanese. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'fear-inducing' to 'overwhelmingly great' and finally to a general expression of 'wow'.
- While やばい is used as a slang 'wow' for something amazing, it literally translates to 'dangerous' or 'risky'. It was originally used by criminals to describe a situation where they might be caught by police.
- In Japanese conversation, すごい is often used as a 'filler' or active listening cue called 'aizuchi'. A listener might say すごい multiple times during a story not because they are shocked, but simply to show they are paying attention.
Examples in context
- わあ、おいしそう。Wow, that looks tasty.This example shows how to use わあ to react to something looking tasty.Tatoeba #889777 by bunbuku, translation #889783 by papabear
- すごい！もう桜が咲いてるよ。Wow! Cherry blossoms are already blooming.This example demonstrates using すごい！ to express excitement about cherry blossoms blooming.Tatoeba #9795666 by small_snow, translation #9795669 by CK
- わあ、これはいいテーブルだ！Wow, this is a nice table!This example shows the use of わあ when admiring a piece of furniture.Tatoeba #10907947 by SomeHungryBois, translation #10907926 by CM
- 凄いですね！眺めが素晴らしいです！Wow! The view is wonderful!
- 驚きました！それは本当に信じられません！I'm surprised! I can't believe it's true!
- すごい！本当に上手ですね！Wow! You're really talented!
- おお！やったんですか？すごい！Oh! You did it? That's amazing!
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at a beautiful night view from a balcony.
- 美咲 Misakiわあ、きれいな景色！Waa, kirei na keshiki!Wow, what a beautiful view!
- 蓮 Ren本当だね、すごいよ。Hontou da ne, sugoi yo.It really is, it's amazing.
- 美咲 Misaki街の灯りがキラキラしてる。Machi no akari ga kirakira shiteru.The city lights are sparkling.
- 蓮 Renここに来てよかった。Koko ni kite yokatta.I'm glad we came here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wow” translations and entries わあ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
