単語Time: AA!

Tango time here isn't about dancing and you don't need a partner. Tango time is about increasing your vocabulary and understanding of Japanese.

Today we'll look at a very simple word: ā.

In this case, ā is an exclamatory word or an interjection.

You use it when you want to emphasize what you are saying.

• 花は　きれい　です。(The flower is pretty.)
• ああ、花　は　きれい　です。(Oh, the flower is pretty.)

Remember that originally, Japanese didn't have punctuation like periods or exclamation points. 

A word like this is called 感動詞　[かんどうし] or interjection.