うんうん
うんうん
interjection
uh-huh, yeah yeah
1.
uh-huh, yeah yeah, mm-hmm
A casual back-channel response indicating that the listener is following along and encourages the speaker to continue. Repeating うん emphasizes active listening.
「昨日ね」「うんうん」「映画見たの」「うんうん」
"Yesterday, right?" "Uh-huh." "I saw a movie." "Uh-huh."
「それでさ、駅で偶然会ったの」「うんうん、それで？」
"And then, I ran into them at the station." "Uh-huh, and then?"
電話で話を聞きながら「うんうん、分かった」と言った。
While listening on the phone, I said "Uh-huh, got it."
うんうん is the reduplicated form of うん (yeah). The repetition signals active, engaged listening — the equivalent of the English "uh-huh" or "mm-hmm" back-channel.
BACK-CHANNELING (相槌):
Japanese conversation relies heavily on back-channel responses (相槌) to show the listener is engaged. うんうん is one of the most common. Others include:
- うん: simple acknowledgment
- うんうん: active listening
- へー: mild surprise or interest
- そうなんだ: "is that so?"
- なるほど: "I see"
TONE:
The rhythm and intonation of うんうん convey engagement. A flat, mechanical うんうん may suggest the listener is not really paying attention, while a lively, varied うんうん shows genuine interest.
REGISTER:
うんうん is casual. In polite settings, ええ or はい is used instead. Using うんうん with superiors or in formal situations is too familiar.