Why do Japanese people say Hai?

Basically, “Hai” is used to make a decision in response to a question, but many Japanese people naturally use this word in “conversational reply” (2). In such cases, “Hai” does not include the meaning of “YES,” but is more like a simple “I'm listening to what you have to say.

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Why do Japanese keep saying Hai?

Hai is pronounced much like the English word “hi,” just usually said with a shorter, more confident intonation. Which makes sense, after all: you're saying yes, not hello! That said, there are many ways to say yes in Japanese, from the casual to the more formal.

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What does Hai mean in Japanese?

The simplest and most straightforward way of saying yes in Japanese is はい hai. In a more formal style, one may also use は!

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What does Moshi Moshi mean?

もしもし • (moshi moshi) (telephony) a common Japanese telephone greeting: hello; used when answering the telephone.

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Do they say Hai in Japan?

Sometimes it's used as a sign of acknowledgement. Sometimes it's used as a delineating device to indicate a change in topic. Sometimes it's used as a way of saying “here you go”. Basically, hai has many different meanings and uses in Japanese beyond “yes”.

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Why do Japanese say hai?

20 related questions found

Does Japanese have no swear words?

Technically there aren't really swear words as such in Japanese. Instead you'll find that most swear words in Japanese, or ways to swear in Japanese, are done by using more common words or phrases and adding a couple of words or changing the way you say them.

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How do you say OK in Japanese?

Wakarimashita / wakatta

Wakarimashita (分かりました / わかりました) is one of the best ways to say okay in Japanese.

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How do you call a girl cute in Japanese?

To tell someone they're cute in Japanese, you'd say 可愛い (kawaii). In other countries, “cute” can sometimes be a bit condescending or negative when used to adult women. But in Japanese, kawaii culture is a big deal.

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How do you say sorry in Japanese?

Gomen Nasai or Gomen (ごめんなさい, ごめん) - I'm Sorry

This is perhaps one of the most common ways you can say “sorry” in Japanese. You can use “gomen nasai” or “gomen” in most instances, as it's a polite way to say sorry, but it's a casual and barebones expression.

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Why do Japanese people say hello twice?

Moushimasu means “to say” in Japanese polite speech and was used to communicate with callers who were in a more privileged position. Due to the poor quality of sound, it became custom to repeat the phrase – and thus, moshi moshi was born.

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Can we say Hai instead of hi?

Hi is the correct spelling pronounced "Hai" and it is the informal way to say hello. It is used among friends. Hey, is an informal way to ask for attention.

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What is ma ho in Japanese?

The name Maho is primarily a female name of Japanese origin that means Truth.

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How do you respond to konnichiwa?

When someone greets you in Japanese with “Konnichiwa” it is best to respond with the same phrase “Konnichiwa”. Even though it means “Good afternoon” or “Hello” and is usually used around noon or in the afternoon, it is common to…

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What is considered rude in Japanese?

Pointing at people or things is considered rude in Japan. Instead of using a finger to point at something, the Japanese use a hand to gently wave at what they would like to indicate. When referring to themselves, people will use their forefinger to touch their nose instead of pointing at themselves.

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What does ma ma ma mean in Japanese?

"Neither Good nor Bad" The word maa maa まぁまぁ can be used to say something is or was "neither good nor bad," that it is "so-so." That it's honestly pretty mediocre, but passable nonetheless.

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What does adding ko mean in Japanese?

Girls were often named with ko (子, "child") at the end of the given name; this should not be confused with the less common male suffix hiko (彦). Both practices have become less common, although many children still have names along these lines.

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Is it OK to just say arigato?

Yes, they do! Arigatou on its own is a simple, somewhat casual “thank you.” That said, most people prefer doumo arigatou or arigatou gozaimasu as their standard way of saying thanks, because both of those phrases are more polite than arigatou on its own.

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What do Japanese say after Arigato?

A phrase that you will often hear as a reply to "arigato gozaimasu" is "ie ie". You might've learned that "you're welcome" in Japanese is "do itashimashite", but actually, this phrase isn't used very often in present day.

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Can I say kawaii to a guy?

For example, while it still maintains a feminine nuance, people can often describe (Japanese) men as 'kawaii' too. The common point kawaii things have are youthful and child-like features. Kawaii originally came from the Japanese word kao hayushi (かおはゆし), which can be written as 顔映ゆし.

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What do Japanese girls call their lovers?

Koibito (恋人 / こいびと) is the Japanese word for 'sweetheart' or 'lover'. It consists of the characters for love (恋) and person (人). It can be used for a girlfriend or boyfriend, or even husband or wife. This term can be used regardless of your significant other's gender.

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What is Japanese slang for girlfriend?

The primary way to say girlfriend in Japanese is the word 彼女 「かのじょ」 which I'm sure you originally learned as the Japanese word for the personal pronoun she. The truth about the meaning of 彼女 is that, both of them are correct!

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What are Japanese words for shut in?

Hikikomori (Japanese: ひきこもり or 引きこもり, lit. "pulling inward, being confined"), also known as severe social withdrawal, is total withdrawal from society and seeking extreme degrees of social isolation and confinement. Hikikomori refers to both the phenomenon in general and the recluses themselves.

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What does na ma e mean in Japanese?

Noun. 名 な 前 まえ • (namae) a name (word or phrase indicating a particular person, place, class, or thing) quotations ▼ (more specifically) a given name (excluding the surname)

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How do you say oh yes in Japanese?

{interjection} ああそうそう {interj.}

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