📌 Intermediate Japanese Lesson ②: How to Keep Conversations Flowing with Aizuchi & Reactions

Welcome back to our Intermediate Japanese Course! In this lesson, we’ll learn how to use aizuchi (相槌)—the short responses and reactions that make your conversations sound more natural and engaging!

🔹 What is Aizuchi?

Aizuchi (相槌) are brief interjections that show you’re actively listening. They help keep the conversation going smoothly and make you sound more natural in Japanese.

For example, in English, you might say:
➡️ "Oh, really?" / "I see." / "That’s interesting!"
In Japanese, similar responses would be:
➡️ へぇ！ / そうなんだ！ / なるほど！

🔹 Common Aizuchi & How to Use Them

1️⃣ Expressing Interest & Surprise

• へぇ！ – "Oh!" / "Really?" (Example: へぇ！知らなかった！ / *Oh! I didn’t know that!*)
• そうなんだ – "I see" / "Is that so?" (Example: そうなんだ、面白いね！ / *I see, that’s interesting!*)
• なるほど – "I see" / "That makes sense" (Example: なるほど、それで？ / *I see, and then?*)

2️⃣ Agreeing & Confirming

• うん / ええ – "Yeah" / "Uh-huh" (Example: うん、そうだね！ / *Yeah, that’s right!*)
• そうだね – "That’s right" / "I agree" (Example: そうだね、私もそう思う。 / *That’s right, I think so too.*)
• たしかに – "Indeed" / "That’s true" (Example: たしかに、それは難しいね。 / *Indeed, that’s difficult.*)

🔹 Conversation Examples

Example 1: Talking about a trip

🧑 A: 先週、京都に行ってきたんだ！ (*Last week, I went to Kyoto!*)
👩 B: へぇ！どこに行ったの？ (*Oh! Where did you go?*)
🧑 A: 清水寺と伏見稲荷大社に行ったよ！ (*I went to Kiyomizu Temple and Fushimi Inari Shrine!*)
👩 B: そうなんだ！いいね！ (*I see! That’s nice!*)

💬 Let’s Talk! Your Thoughts & Requests

Now that you’ve learned how to use aizuchi, let’s make this lesson even better together! 🚀

• 💬 Which aizuchi do you already use?
• 💬 Are there any that you found interesting or new?
• 💬 Do you have any funny or awkward aizuchi stories?

👇 Leave a comment below! I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

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👉 Is there a topic you’d like me to cover next?
👉 Do you have any questions about Japanese conversations?

Drop your requests in the comments, and I might cover them in a future lesson! ✨

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📢 Next Lesson: Using "Te-form" in Practical Conversations!

Stay tuned for the next lesson, where we’ll dive into practical uses of て形 (te-form) like ～てみる, ～ておく, and ～てしまう!

🌟 Try using aizuchi in your next conversation and let us know how it goes! 🚀