What Does Iiyo Mean in Japanese?

The Japanese word Iiyo has several meanings: It's okay, its fine with me or thanks. All are terms that covey agreement with something that has been said.

The phrase sounds informal, therefore it shouldn't be used to your superior. "Ii desu yo" can be used in formal situations. "Yo" is a sentence ending particle.

Daijoubu is another way you tell others you are "fine" or "okay" in Japanese.

The Addition of "Yo"

In Japanese, there are many particles that are added to the end of a sentence. They express the speaker's emotions, doubt, emphasis, caution, hesitation, wonder, admiration, and so on. Some sentence ending particles distinguish male or female speech. Many of them don't translate easily. Click here for "Sentence Ending Particles (1)."

Yo does two things:

(1) Emphasizes a command.

• Benkyou shinasai yo!
  勉強しなさいよ！
  Study!
• Okoranaide yo!
  怒らないでよ！
  Don't get so angry at me!

(2) Indicates moderate emphasis, especially useful when the speaker provides a new piece of information.

• Ano eiga wa sugoku yokatta yo.
  あの映画はすごく良かったよ｡
  That movie was very good.
• Kare wa tabako o suwanai yo.
  彼は煙草を吸わないよ｡
  He doesn't smoke, you know.

Similar Words that Show Agreement

There are several other ways to say you agree in Japanese. Here are some of them:

• I agree (賛成です), Sansei desu. Sansei, which means “approval," is a more formal way to convey agreement in Japanese.
• Absolutely (全くその通り。) Mattaku sono tōri. “Mattaku” means completely.
• Of course (もちろんです。) Mochiron desu. This is yet another way to show agreement in Japanese.

Pronunciation of Iiyo

Listen to the audio file for "Iiyo."

Japanese Characters for Iiyo:

いいよ。