いい声してるね
ii koe shiteru ne
The English phrase "you have a beautiful voice" is translated into Japanese as いい声してるね (ii koe shiteru ne).
This phrase is commonly used to compliment the timbre or quality of a person's voice, whether they are speaking or singing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "doing a good voice, right?"
Which one should you use?
While 'ii koe' means 'good voice', it is more natural in Japanese to use いい声 (good voice) than utsukushii koe (beautiful voice) for casual compliments.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use いい声ですね instead of いい声してるね when speaking to a stranger, a superior or someone you are not close with.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb shiteru is a contraction of shite iru, indicating a continuous state or characteristic.
How do you pronounce it?
ii koe shiteru ne
Did you know?
- Complimenting a stranger's voice with ii koe shiteru ne can sometimes be interpreted as flirtatious or overly intimate in Japan. In professional settings, it is safer to compliment the clarity or the delivery of the speech rather than the physical quality of the voice.
- In Japanese, the word koe refers specifically to the sound produced by a living being. To describe the 'voice' of an instrument or an inanimate object, a different word, neiro, is often used to describe the 'color of the sound'.
- The word koe appears in koe-gake, a term for calling out to strangers on the street. This describes everything from friendly greetings to aggressive recruitment by street promoters.
Examples in context
- 素晴らしい歌声ですね。You have a wonderful singing voice.
- お声がとても美しいです。Your voice is very beautiful.
- めっちゃ上手い声やん！Your voice is super amazing!
- 声がキレイだよね。Your voice is beautiful, isn't it?
- 声がめっちゃキレイちゃう？Isn't your voice super beautiful?
- いい声してるね。ii koe shiteru ne.You have a beautiful voice.
- 彼はとてもいい声してるね。kare wa totemo ii koe shiteru ne.He has a very pleasant voice.
- ラジオの人がいい声してるね。rajio no hito ga ii koe shiteru ne.The radio host has a lovely voice.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are listening to a recording of Misaki reading a story.
- 陽太 Yota美咲、いい声してるね。Misaki, ii koe shiteru ne.Misaki, you have a beautiful voice.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当？ありがとう！E, hontō? Arigatō!What, really? Thank you!
- 陽太 Yotaうん、すごく心地いいよ。Un, sugoku kokochi ii yo.Yeah, it's very pleasant.
- 美咲 Misakiそう言ってもらえて嬉しいな。Sō itte moraete ureshii na.I'm happy to hear you say that.
