〜なあ

Exclamation / musing (casual)

なあ at the end of a plain-form sentence expresses a feeling, often said to yourself: wonder, admiration, or a wish. It is casual, like saying "Wow, ..." or "Man, ..." in English.

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How to make it

Rule	Example
い-adjective + なあ	たかい → たかいなあ
な-adjective / Noun + だなあ	きれい → きれいだなあ
Verb plain form + なあ	食べる → よく食べるなあ
Verb ます-stem + たいなあ	行きます → 行きたいなあ

Meaning and examples

1. Exclaiming or admiring

Use it when something impresses or surprises you, such as good weather, a high price or a beautiful view.
- いい天気だなあ。
  
  いいてんきだなあ。
  
  ii tenki da naa.
  
  What nice weather!
- この本、高いなあ。
  
  このほん、たかいなあ。
  
  kono hon, takai naa.
  
  Wow, this book is expensive.
- あの花、きれいだなあ。
  
  あのはな、きれいだなあ。
  
  ano hana, kirei da naa.
  
  Those flowers are so pretty.
2. Wishing

〜たいなあ and 〜といいなあ express a wish you are thinking about, like "I really wish ~".
- 日本へ行きたいなあ。
  
  にほんへいきたいなあ。
  
  nihon e ikitai naa.
  
  I really wish I could go to Japan.
- あした、雨がふらないといいなあ。
  
  あした、あめがふらないといいなあ。
  
  ashita, ame ga furanai to ii naa.
  
  I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.
3. Musing to yourself

It often shows you are thinking out loud, not really talking to anyone.
- あの人、よく食べるなあ。
  
  あのひと、よくたべるなあ。
  
  ano hito, yoku taberu naa.
  
  That person really eats a lot.
- もう十二時か。時間がたつのははやいなあ。
  
  もうじゅうにじか。じかんがたつのははやいなあ。
  
  mou juuniji ka. jikan ga tatsu no wa hayai naa.
  
  It's already twelve? Time goes so fast.

Nuance

なあ is casual, so use it with friends, family or when talking to yourself, not when speaking politely to a teacher or customer. It attaches to plain forms; with polite speech people say ですね instead. A shorter な is also common, and sounds a little more masculine or blunt. Nouns and な-adjectives need だ before なあ.

Compared with

〜ね

ね invites the listener to agree with you. なあ is more about your own feeling and works even when nobody is listening.

〜たい

たい states that you want to do something. 〜たいなあ adds a dreamy, wishful feeling, often for something that may not happen soon.

〜よ

よ tells the listener new information. なあ expresses your own emotion rather than informing someone.

Common mistakes

Wrongきれいなあ。

Rightきれいだなあ。

な-adjectives and nouns need だ before なあ.

Wrongこのケーキ、おいしいだなあ。

Rightこのケーキ、おいしいなあ。

い-adjectives take なあ directly, without だ.

Wrong日本へ行きますたいなあ。

Right日本へ行きたいなあ。

たい attaches to the ます-stem, not to the full ます form.

Practice

JLPT style: choose the best answer for （　）.

1（ひとりで）ああ、このケーキ、おいしい（　）。
2見て。あの山、ほんとうにきれい（　）。
3なつ休みにうみへ行き（　）なあ。
4（友だちに）今日はほんとうにあつい（　）。

FAQ

Is なあ the same as ね?

No. ね asks the listener to agree with you. なあ is mainly about your own feeling and is often said to yourself.

Can women use なあ?

Yes. なあ is used by everyone in casual speech. The short form な can sound a bit more masculine, but なあ itself is neutral.

Can I use なあ with です?

It is rare and can sound old-fashioned. In polite speech, use ですね to share a feeling with the listener instead.

More in Sentence basics

〜は〜ですX is Y 〜は〜ですかIs X Y? (question)〜でしたWas / were (past polite)〜ねIsn't it? / Right? (seeking agreement)〜よI tell you / you know (assertion)〜じゃないです／〜ではありませんIs not ~ (negative)〜と思いますI think that ~〜んです／〜のですIt's that ~ (explanation / emphasis)〜でしょうProbably ~ / I suppose ~〜のですかIs it that ~? (seeking explanation)〜だ (plain copula)Is / am / are (casual)〜だろうProbably ~ / ~, right? (casual)お〜／ご〜Polite prefix

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