Wow and whoa
Conversation phrases, Stage 2chunk 23 of 71Reacting
Gives a quick gut reaction to something you see or hear.
Mix-ups uwa can be delight or disgust; ara sounds older or feminine.
waa
wow!; whoa!
Surprise or delight at something you see, like a view, a gift or food arriving.
uwa! leans toward shock or disgust; waa is usually pleasant.
waa, kirei! mite, umi ga mieru yo.
Wow, beautiful! Look, you can see the sea.
わあ、きれい！見て、海が見えるよ。
waa, kirei desu ne! umi ga miemasu yo.
Wow, how beautiful! You can see the sea.
わあ、きれいですね！海が見えますよ。
Written わあWho you say it and hear itHeard too rare in film subtitles to count
uwa!
whoa!; ugh!
Shock or amazement; with a grimace it means disgust.
Drawn out, uwaa is awe: uwaa, kirei (wow, beautiful).
uwa, kyou hito ga ooi na!
Whoa, it's so crowded today!
うわっ、今日人が多いな！
uwa, kyou wa hito ga ooi desu ne.
Wow, it's really crowded today.
うわっ、今日は人が多いですね。
Written うわっWho you say it and hear itHeard 256× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
iyaa
man...; wow; well...
Opens a comment with feeling; also a bashful start to answering praise.
Not 'no': short iya means no, drawn-out iyaa is a filler.
iyaa, kyou wa atsui ne.
Man, it's hot today.
いやー、今日は暑いね。
iyaa, kyou wa atsui desu ne.
My, it's hot today.
いやー、今日は暑いですね。
Written いやーWho you say it and hear itHeard 114× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
o!
oh!; hey!
A light 'oh' when you notice something good or see someone arrive.
a! is for sudden realization or alarm; o! is for pleasant noticing.
o! ii no aru jan.
Oh! There's a good one.
おっ！いいのあるじゃん。
o, ii no ga arimasu ne.
Oh, there's a nice one.
おっ、いいのがありますね。
Written おっWho you say itHeard too rare in film subtitles to count
ara
oh!; oh my
Mild surprise, typically from women, like running into someone you know.
Men rarely say it; are? is the neutral 'huh?'.
ara, hisashiburi ne. genki?
Oh, long time no see. How are you?
あら、久しぶりね。元気？
ara, ohisashiburi desu ne.
Oh, it's been a long time.
あら、お久しぶりですね。
Written あらWho said to youHeard too rare in film subtitles to count