Japanese Listening Skills: Showing Engagement with Aizuchi and Follow-up Questions
Learn to use aizuchi (response tokens) and follow-up questions in Japanese so you can show active listening and keep a conversation going naturally.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In Japanese conversation, listening is not passive. Speakers expect frequent short responses called aizuchi (相槌) to show they are following along. Without them, a Japanese speaker may feel you are uninterested or that the connection has dropped. This lesson focuses on the listening side of conversation: how to react with 'un' and 'hontou?', how to ask follow-up questions, and how to keep the other person talking. You will practice reacting at the right moment, not just understanding words. The goal is to sound engaged and natural while someone else is speaking.
By the end, you can…
- use common aizuchi to show I am listening during a Japanese conversation.
- ask natural follow-up questions to keep a speaker talking.
- distinguish between aizuchi that invites more detail and aizuchi that simply acknowledges.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
うん、うん。
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
un, un
Casual acknowledgment used with friends, family, and people of similar or lower status. Do not use with superiors in formal settings.
へえ、そうなんだ。
Oh, really? / I see.
hee, sou nan da
Shows mild surprise or new information. Casual form; in polite conversation use そうなんですね (sou nan desu ne).
それで？
And then? / So what happened?
sore de?
A short follow-up that asks the speaker to continue. Use when you want the next part of the story.
本当？
Really?
hontou?
Expresses surprise or doubt. Rising intonation makes it a question. Polite version: 本当ですか (hontou desu ka).
たとえば？
For example?
tatoeba?
Asks for a concrete example. Useful when the speaker makes a general statement and you want details.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Aizuchi are short responses inserted while the other person is speaking. Common ones include うん (un, uh-huh), へえ (hee, oh), そうなんだ (sou nan da, I see), and 本当？ (hontou?, really?). They do not interrupt; they signal 'I am with you.' A follow-up question such as それで？ (sore de?, and then?) or たとえば？ (tatoeba?, for example?) invites more detail. In polite conversation, replace casual forms: うん becomes はい (hai), そうなんだ becomes そうなんですね (sou nan desu ne), and 本当？ becomes 本当ですか (hontou desu ka).
When to use it
Use aizuchi every few seconds while someone is speaking, especially after they finish a clause or pause. If a friend says 昨日、新しいカフェに行ったんだ (kinou, atarashii kafe ni itta n da, Yesterday I went to a new cafe), you can reply へえ、そうなんだ (hee, sou nan da, Oh, I see) and then ask それで？ (sore de?, And then?). In formal situations, use はい (hai) and そうですね (sou desu ne) instead of うん and そうなんだ. Avoid overusing 本当？ with superiors, as it can sound challenging.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
昨日、新しいカフェに行ったんだ。
Yesterday I went to a new cafe.kinou, atarashii kafe ni itta n daへえ、そうなんだ。それで？
Oh, really? And then?hee, sou nan da. sore de?ケーキがすごくおいしかった。でも、ちょっと高かった。
The cake was really delicious. But it was a bit expensive.keeki ga sugoku oishikatta. demo, chotto takakatta本当？どんなケーキ？
Really? What kind of cake?hontou? donna keeki?A little context goes a long way
Aizuchi frequency varies by region and relationship. In Kansai, responses may be more frequent and lively; in formal Tokyo business settings, quieter はい and ええ are safer. With superiors, use polite aizuchi and avoid casual うん or 本当？. Listening silently is often interpreted as disinterest, so aim for regular, soft responses rather than long comments.
One thing to watch for
Staying silent while a Japanese speaker talks, thinking that silent listening is polite.
Try this instead: Insert short aizuchi such as うん (un), へえ (hee), or そうなんですね (sou nan desu ne) every few seconds. For example, while a friend describes a trip, say へえ、そうなんだ (hee, sou nan da) and then それで？ (sore de?) to show you are following and want more.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Your friend says 昨日、映画を見たんだ (kinou, eiga o mita n da, I watched a movie yesterday). Give one casual aizuchi and one follow-up question.
Show a sample answer
へえ、そうなんだ。それで？ (hee, sou nan da. sore de?)
へえ、そうなんだ acknowledges the information, and それで？ invites the friend to continue. Other valid answers include 本当？ (hontou?) or どんな映画？ (donna eiga?, What movie?).
2Your boss says 来週、大阪に出張します (raishuu, Oosaka ni shucchou shimasu, I will go to Osaka on a business trip next week). Give a polite aizuchi.
Show a sample answer
そうなんですね。 (sou nan desu ne.)
そうなんですね is a polite acknowledgment suitable for a superior. うん or へえ alone would be too casual here. はい、そうですか (hai, sou desu ka) is also acceptable.
3You want the speaker to give a concrete example. What short question can you ask?
Show a sample answer
たとえば？ (tatoeba?)
たとえば？ asks for an example and keeps the speaker talking. In polite conversation, use たとえば、どういうことですか (tatoeba, dou iu koto desu ka, For example, what do you mean?).
Show you are listening with short aizuchi like うん and そうなんだ, then keep the conversation going with follow-up questions like それで？ and たとえば？. Match politeness to the person you are speaking with.
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