よ

よ

よ U+3088, よ HIRAGANA LETTER YO ← ょ [U+3087] Hiragana ら → [U+3089]

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [jo̞]

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 与 in the cursive sōsho style.

Syllable

よ (romaji yo)

1. The hiragana syllable よ (yo). Its equivalent in katakana is ヨ (yo). It is the thirty-eighth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is や行お段 (ya-gyō o-dan, “row ya, section o”).

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こ𛄲ご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, らら゚, りり゚, るる゚, れれ゚, ろろ゚, わゎわ゙, ゐ𛅐ゐ゙, 𛄟, ゑ𛅑ゑ゙, を𛅒を゙, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Particle

よ • (yo) 

1. Indicates certainty, conviction, or emphasis.

   「ポレット先(せん)生(せい)はいますか。」「はい、いますよ。」

   “Poretto sensei wa imasu ka.” “Hai, imasu yo.”

   "Is Mr. Pollett here?" "Yes, [I'm certain that] he is here."

   そうじゃないよ！

   Sō ja nai yo!

   It's not like that!

2. (literary, poetic) Used as a vocative particle to address the topic in question: O.

   雨(あめ)よ雪(ゆき)に変(か)わってくれ。

   Ame yo yuki ni kawattekure.

   O rain! Please change into snow!

   『神(かみ)よツァーリを護(まも)り給(たま)え』

   “Kami yo Tsāri o mamoritamae”

   "God Save the Tsar!"

   「万(ばん)国(こく)の労(ろう)働(どう)者(しゃ)よ、団(だん)結(けつ)せよ！」

   “Bankoku no rōdōsha yo, danketsu seyo!”

   "Workers of the world, unite!"

Synonyms

• (final particle): (informal) お (o)

Suffix

よ • (-yo) 

1. 余: over, more than

Noun

よ • (yo) 

1. 夜: night, evening
2. 預: deposit, in advance

Pronoun

よ • (yo) 

1. 予, 余: I, me