Japanese grammar · no level in the source

〜なあmeaning and usage

Meaning

Emphasizes feelings or wishes in the preceding sentence A

How to form it

  • plain formなあ
  • verb (masu-stem)たいなあ
  • verb (dictionary form)/い-adjectiveといいなあ

How it is used

At the end of a sentence it voices the speaker's feeling or wish, often as if to oneself or to someone close. 「ね」 seeks the listener's agreement; 「なあ」 mainly expresses one's own feeling. Also written 「な」; casual.

Examples

  1. もっとたくさん遊びたいなあ。

    I want to play more.

  2. 今日は本当にいい天気だなあ。

    It really is a nice day today.

  3. 夏休みがもっと長いといいなあ。

    I wish summer vacation were longer.