余談(よだん)

よだん
noun
digression; side note; by the way
communication
1. digression; side note; tangential remark
A remark or story that departs from the main topic. Often used as a discourse marker to introduce an aside. Composed of 余 (surplus, extra) + 談 (talk).
余談(よだん)ですが、面白(おもしろ)い話(はなし)があります。
As a side note, I have an interesting story.
余談(よだん)はさておき、本題(ほんだい)に入(はい)りましょう。
Setting digressions aside, let's get to the main topic.
余談(よだん)になりますが、この建物(たてもの)には百年(ひゃくねん)の歴史(れきし)があるそうです。
As an aside, I hear this building has a hundred years of history.

Usage

余談(よだん) is commonly used as a discourse marker to signal that the speaker is about to say something off-topic. Common patterns include 余談(よだん)ですが (as a side note), 余談(よだん)になりますが (this is a digression, but), and 余談(よだん)はさておき (setting aside digressions).

Common collocations

  • 余談(よだん)ですが (as a side note — polite)
  • 余談(よだん)はさておき (digressions aside)
  • 余談(よだん)になりますが (this is off-topic, but)
  • ちょっと余談(よだん) (a brief digression)

Related Words

Homophone: 予断(よだん) (premature judgment)
general
Added 2026.3.5 16:56 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
15000/15129_yodan