はい

はい · hai · JLPT N5 · expression

yes

Sounds like a cheerful hi — greet the question with hai and you have said yes

はい is two kana: は (ha) + い (i), said as one quick syllable, hai. English hi opens a conversation; Japanese hai agrees with it. It also works as a polite I hear you, so it signals attention as much as agreement.

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