ええ
ええ
interjection
yes, yeah
1.
yes, yeah
An affirmative response, slightly softer than はい.
「日本語がわかりますか。」「ええ、少し。」
"Do you understand Japanese?" "Yes, a little."
「明日来ますか。」「ええ、行きます。」
"Will you come tomorrow?" "Yes, I will."
ええ、そうですね。
Yes, that's right.
「この映画、見ましたか。」「ええ、先週見ました。」
"Have you seen this movie?" "Yes, I saw it last week."
「お茶でもいかがですか。」「ええ、いただきます。」
"Would you like some tea?" "Yes, please."
ええ is an affirmative interjection used to express agreement or confirmation. It's softer and more conversational than はい, commonly used in everyday speech.
FORMALITY SCALE (most to least formal):
1. はい: formal 'yes' (business, polite speech)
2. ええ: conversational 'yes' (everyday polite conversation)
3. うん: casual 'yeah' (friends, family)
4. ああ: very casual acknowledgment
USAGE NOTES:
- Often used by women more than men in formal situations
- Can be elongated (ええー) to show hesitation or thinking
- Works as a conversation filler showing you're listening
- Softer tone makes it popular in customer service
COMMON PATTERNS:
- ええ、そうです: Yes, that's right
- ええ、分かりました: Yes, I understand
- ええ、まあ: Yes, well... (hesitant agreement)
RELATED:
- いいえ: no (polite)
- ううん: no (casual)