Japanese · Exclamations
うそ
uso
OO-so · /ɯso/
No way! / You're kidding! / That can't be true!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"a lie"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Literally "lie," but as an exclamation it's "no way!" — you're not actually calling anyone a liar. Enormously common, and slightly more women-flavored in the drawn-out "usooo~" form; "uso!" flat is unisex. "Uso deshо̄" adds a polite layer of disbelief.
Heard in the wild
別れたの?うそ、いつ?
You broke up? No way — when?
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "うそ" mean?
- In Japanese, "うそ" means "No way! / You're kidding! / That can't be true!". Literally it's "a lie". Literally "lie," but as an exclamation it's "no way!" — you're not actually calling anyone a liar. Enormously common, and slightly more women-flavored in the drawn-out "usooo~" form; "uso!" flat is unisex. "Uso deshо̄" adds a polite layer of disbelief.
- Is "うそ" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "うそ"?
- Say it "OO-so" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ɯso.
Related in Japanese
マジ maji MAH-jee Seriously / for real / no joke いてえ itee (itai) ee-TEH Ow! / Ouch! / That hurts! マジか maji ka MAH-jee kah For real?! / Are you kidding me?! げっ ge' GEH Ugh / yuck / oh no たっけえ takkee (takai) tahk-KEH Damn, that's expensive! / highway robbery ビビる bibiru bee-BEE-roo Freaked out / spooked / rattled
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "No way".
- French Oh la vache ! Holy cow! / Wow! / Whoa!
- German Quatsch! Nonsense! / Rubbish! / No way!
- Greek έλα ρε Come on! / No way! / You're kidding — disbelief, protest, or delight depending on tone.
- Italian Dai! Come on! / Come off it! / Please!
- Korean 헐 Whoa / no way / I can't even — the all-purpose stunned noise.
- Polish no co ty! No way! / Come on! / You can't be serious.
- Portuguese Porra nenhuma! Bullshit! / Like hell! / Not a damn thing
- Russian Офигеть! Wow! / Holy cow! / No way!
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.