Activities: "よ (yo) and ね (ne)"

Are you still not sure when to use よ, ね(え) and よね? No worries! Practice makes perfect. Read each of the short descriptions and conversations below and add the most appropriate particle (よ, ね, ねえ or よね) in the blank. Add the intonation sign in the last blank (➚, ➙, or ➘) too!

• You and your friend Hikaru are visiting Kyoto today. Your bullet train just arrived at Kyoto Station. Hikaru is fast asleep. Let’s wake them up.

  • ほら、京都に着いた。()
    Hora, Kyōto ni tsuita ___.
    Hey, we are in Kyoto.

  • えっ、もう？はやかった。()
    E, mō? Hayakatta ___.
    Oh, already? It was quick!

  You: よ for notification.
  Hikaru: ねえ for expressing emotion.
  We can also use a short ね for seeking agreement: はやかったね➙

• You and Hikaru are heading to the famous Kiyomizu Temple. It seems you two are lost. Let’s ask a stranger and find out how to get there.

  • すみません、清水寺はどこですか。
    Sumimasen, Kiyomizu-dera wa doko desu ka.
    Excuse me, where’s Kiyomizu Temple?

  • ああ、この道まっすぐです。()
    Ā, kono michi massugu desu ___.
    Oh, already? It was quick!

  Stranger: よ for offering information the listener doesn’t know (straightforward response).

• You enjoyed your first afternoon in Kyoto. It’s now almost dinner time. You are starving! You’re pretty sure Hikaru is hungry too. Let’s make sure you two are on the same page.

  • おなかすいた。()
    Onaka suita ___.
    We are hungry, aren’t we?

  • うん、何か食べたい。()
    Un, nanika tabetai ___.
    Yeah, we want to eat something, don’t we?

  You & Hikaru:ね for seeking agreement.
  For Hikaru’s part, you may choose よね instead (confirming the mutual desire). But for you, it’s more natural to use ね since you are sure of how you feel and no need to confirm it with anyone else!

• You two look around to find a place to eat. Hikaru makes a suggestion. What do you think?

  • ねえ、あの店にしよう。()
    Nē, ano mise ni hairō ___.
    Say, let’s pick that place.

  • うん、いい。そうしよう。()
    Un, ii ___. Sō shiyō.
    Sure. Let’s do so.

  Hikaru: よ for invitation.
  You: よ for offering your answer (new piece of information for the listener).
  Alternatively, you could say いいね ➙ as a way of agreeing with your friend’s idea.

• The inside of the restaurant looks and smells great! You and Hikaru decide on the same dish. Let’s talk to the waiter and order them.

  • うなぎ定食２つお願いします。
    Unagi teishoku futatsu onegai shimasu.
    Two unagi special, please.

  • うなぎ定食２つです。少々お待ちください。()
    Unagi teishoku futatsu desu ___. Shōshō omachi kudasai.
    Two unagi special, right? Please wait for a moment.

  Waiter: ね for (re)confirmation.
  Did you feel like adding よ or ね in your own line? You could, but they are not necessary. Besides, お願いしますよ[onegai shimasu yo] sounds a bit too pushy, and お願いしますね[onegai shimasu ne] sounds a little condescending. Bottom line: Don’t overuse these sentence-ending particles when they are not necessary!

• After the dinner, you and Hikaru head to your hotel. It was Hikaru who made the booking. Before hopping onto the bus, you want to make sure where the hotel is.

  • えーっと、ホテルは金閣寺の近くだった。()
    Ētto, hoteru wa Kinkakuji no chikaku datta ___.
    Let’s see, our hotel is near the Golden Pavilion, right?

  • そう。京都マンゴーホテルだ。()
    Sō. Kyōto Mangō Hoteru da ___.
    Right. It's the Kyoto Mango Hotel.

  You: よね for asking for confirmation. Since you are not quite sure of the hotel location, よね sounds more natural than ね.
  Hikaru: よ for offering a piece of information the listener doesn’t know.

• It turns out that Kyoto Mango Hotel is a nice place to stay at a great price! Impressed, you congratulate Hikaru by saying…

  • いつも感心するけど、ヒカルって穴場探しの名人だ。()
    Itsumo kanshin suru kedo, Hikaru tte anaba sagashi no meijin da ___.
    I’ve been impressed all the time, but you are great at finding little-known gems, aren’t you, Hikaru!

  • えへへ、それほどでも。
    Ehehe, sore hodo demo.
    Ehehe, I’m not that good.

  You: よね for commenting on the listener for a fact you have known.
  If you didn’t know the fact and just discovered it for the first time, use ね instead: へえ・・・名人だね。知らなかった(What…you are great at…, aren’t you! I had no idea).

• It was a great first day in Kyoto! Before falling asleep, let’s share your thoughts with Hikaru.

  • 今日は楽しかった。天気もよかったし。()
    Kyō wa tanoshikatta ___. Tenki mo yokatta shi.
    We had fun today, didn't we! The weather was good too.

  • うん、明日も晴れるといい。おやすみ！()
    Un, ashita mo hareru to ii ___. Oyasumi!
    Yeah, I hope it’ll be sunny tomorrow too. Good night!

  You: ね for seeking agreement. It could also be ねえ➘ to express emotion.
  Hikaru: ね for seeking agreement.

For the next two questions, you'll create your own answer! You can use your own word or choose one from the word bank. Make sure to use よ, ね, or よね!

• Finally, the work day is over! You met up with your friends at your favorite cafe. One of them asks you how your first day at the office was. Glad to be asked, you answer promptly.

  Word Bank
  おもしろかった omoshirokatta it was interesting	つまらなかった tsumaranakatta it was dull
  楽だった raku datta it was easy	大変だった taihen datta it was hard
  忙しかった isogashikatta it was a busy day	暇だった hima datta it was a slow day

  You can say something like:
  おもしろかったよ➚。(It was interesting, you know.)

  Explanation: Your answer will vary, but the correct particle is よ➚. You are offering a piece of information the listener doesn't know. If you are providing your answer after some deep thinking, you might be able to use ね; however, since you promptly answer here, よ sounds most natural and appropriate.

• On the way home, you see a person walking ahead of you drop something. The person doesn’t seem to notice it. Let’s call out and let them know. As for the dropped item, you can name it or choose one from the word bank.

  Word Bank
  〜が落ちました ...ga ochimashita you dropped... lit. ...fell off	財布 saifu wallet
  ハンカチ hankachi handkerchief	定期券 teikiken commuter pass
  スマホ sumaho smartphone	鍵 kagi keys
  サングラス sangurasu sunglasses	イヤホン iyahon earbuds

  You can say something like:
  あっ、財布が落ちましたよ➚！(Oh, you dropped your wallet!)

  Explanation: Your answer will vary, but the correct particle is よ➚, for notification. When you witnessed the moment someone dropped something, you can holler, 〜が落ちましたよ！(You dropped...!).
  
  If the person didn’t hear you, and you have to pick it up and chase the person to deliver it, you may opt to say, すみません、Xを落としましたよ！[Sumimasen, X o otoshimashita yo!](Excuse me, you dropped X!) or a more polite version Xを落とされましたよ[X o otosaremashita yo]. Either way, よ indicates that the utterance is intended to the listener.