Ne in Japanese is mainly used in four ways, explained with examples

What is “ne” in Japanese?

Honestly, it is a bit hard to convey how Japanese native speakers use the particle, “ne”, because it can work to make sounds of phrases better without meaning anything. In this blog post, however, I will try to explain its major roles.

Japanese native speakers use “ne” mainly in the four different ways: asking for confirmation, expressing exclamation softly, expressing agreement, and making sounds of phrases better. I will explain how to use the particle, “ne”, in detail through four example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand it and how to use it more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• “Ne” to ask for confirmation
  • Example #1: how to ask for confirmation with “ne”
• “Ne” to express exclamation
  • Example #2: how to express exclamation with “ne”
• “Ne” to express agreement
  • Example #3: how to express agreement with “ne”
• “Ne” to make sounds of phrases better
  • Example #4: how to make sounds of phrases better with “ne”
• Summary: “ne” in Japanese

“Ne” to ask for confirmation

Let me start with “ne” asking for confirmation.

• ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle asking for confirmation.

Japanese native speakers often use this type of “ne” to ask for confirmation. In other words, they use it to add the meaning of ‘right?’ or such at the end of a sentence. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to ask for confirmation with “ne”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• kinou – 昨日 (きのう) : a noun meaning ‘yesterday’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “yesterday” in Japanese.
• gakkou – 学校 (がっこう) : a noun meaning ‘school’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “gakkou” to say where “kanojo” came.
• ki – 来 (き) : one conjugation of the verb, “kuru”, which means ‘to come’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “ki” to make its past tense form, “ki ta”.

This is a typical usage of this type of “ne”. In the example, it works at the end of the sentence to ask for confirmation like “right?” in English. Normally, native speakers use it with the pitch raised in a very similar way that they make questions. Yet, it sounds still softer than other particles like “ka” which focuses more on making questions directly.

“Ne” to express exclamation

Next, let me explain “ne” expressing exclamation.

• ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle expressing exclamation.

Japanese native speakers often use this type of “ne” to express exclamation. This sounds softer than the one asking for confirmation, but still very similar. Let me explain this usage though the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to express exclamation with “ne”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• tsuki – 月 (つき) : a noun meaning ‘moon’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first noun can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “tsuki” and “hikari”. The formed phrase literally means ‘the light of the moon’ or just ‘the moonlight’. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is quite similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
• hikari – 光 (ひかり) : a noun meaning ‘light’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “tsuki no hikari”, to make the subject in the sentence.
• mabushii – 眩しい (まぶしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘bright’ in Japanese.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “mabushii” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of this type of “ne”. In the example, this works at the end of the sentence to express the exclamation. Normally, this sounds softer than other words and particles working to express exclamation, so is not necessarily translated into English with the exclamation mark. In a way, this type of “ne” is similar to the one asking for confirmation, but still sounds softer and indirect. The work of “ne” highly depends on the pitch and strength.

“Ne” to express agreement

Next, let me explain “ne” expressing agreement.

• ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle expressing agreement.

Japanese native speakers often use this type of “ne” to express agreement. This is more or less the same as the last one expressing exclamation softly. And in addition, the role of this particle can also be considered as asking for agreement – asking for confirmation in a softer way. Even for Japanese native speakers, therefore, it’s sometimes very hard to have the correct interpretation of this sentence-ending particle. They couldn’t understand what the speaker wants to do by “ne”: either asking for confirmation, expressing exclamation softly, or expressing agreement. In other words, when we want to leave the meaning of a phrase unclear intentionally, this particle can be useful.

Then, let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to express agreement with “ne”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• hai – はい : an interjection used as an answer meaning ‘yes’ in Japanese.
• kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb.
• atatakai – 暖かい (あたたかい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘warm’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of this type of “ne”. The example sentence starts with the interjection, “hai”, which means ‘yes’ in Japanese, so we can easily understand that “ne” at the end of the sentence expresses the agreement. In reality, however, not every sentence starts with a word meaning ‘yes’ or such, so having the correct interpretation of “ne” could be difficult. Normally, native speakers use this type of “ne” without the pitch raised.

“Ne” to make sounds of phrases better

Lastly, let me explain “ne” making sounds of phrases better.

• ne – ね : an interjectory particle making sounds of phrases better.

Theoretically, we can use this type of “ne” wherever we want: after a noun, verb, adjective, auxiliary verb, or even particle. Yet, it’s a bit hard for Japanese learners to decide where to use this particle, I guess. They need some experience before using this. They should learn how to use this through the real Japanese conversations.

Nevertheless, let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to make sounds of phrases better with “ne”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kyoto – 京都 (きょうと) : a noun meaning ‘Kyoto’ in Japanese.
• de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “kyoto” to say where “I” met “him”.
• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say to whom an action goes. In the example, this is used after “kare” to indicate the direction of the action, ‘to meet’.
• at – 会っ (あっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “au”, which means ‘to meet’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with the following word.

This is a typical usage of this type of “ne”. It doesn’t have any meaning, so can be omitted. Yet, it can work to make sounds of phrases better. So, when we want to have some sound between words or phrases, this particle is useful. In a way, we can understand that this particle can also work to make a pause between phrases.

Summary: “ne” in Japanese

In this blog post, I’ve explained the four different types of “ne”. Let me summarize them as follows.

• ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle asking for confirmation. This works at the end of a sentence to ask for confirmation like “right?” in English. Normally, native speakers use it with the pitch raised in a very similar way that they make questions. Yet, it sounds still softer.
• ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle expressing exclamation. Normally, this sounds softer than other words and particles working to express exclamation, so is not necessarily translated into English with the exclamation mark. In a way, this type of “ne” is similar to the one asking for confirmation, but still sounds softer and indirect.
• ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle expressing agreement. This is more or less the same as the last one expressing exclamation softly. And in addition, the role of this particle can also be considered as asking for agreement – asking for confirmation in a softer way. Even for Japanese native speakers, therefore, it’s sometimes very hard to have the correct interpretation of this sentence-ending particle.
• ne – ね : an interjectory particle making sounds of phrases better. This doesn’t have any meaning, so can be omitted. Yet, it can work to make sounds of phrases better. So, when we want to have some sound between words or phrases, this particle is useful. In a way, we can understand that this particle can also work to make a pause between phrases.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.