In this episode, we talk about Japanese filler words — the little sounds and words people use when they’re thinking, reacting, or keeping a conversation flowing. You hear them all the time in real Japanese, but textbooks rarely explain them properly.
We break down common fillers like etto, ano, long eeeeee sounds, and reactions like naruhodo, and explain when they’re used, what they really mean, and how they change the feeling of a conversation.
Amber explains how these fillers sound in natural speech and what feels normal (or strange), while Kade compares them to English fillers like “uh,” “um,” and “I see.”
Grab a coffee and join us for another relaxed deep dive into everyday Japanese language and culture.
