ええ

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ee"

Japanese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [e̞ː]

Etymology 1

Interjection

ええ • (ē) 

1. yes, indeed

   ええ、その通(とお)り。

   Ē, sono tōri.

   Indeed.

2. oh (utterance of surprise)
3. well, let me see
4. what?

Synonyms

• (yes): はい (hai), うん (un), そう (sō), ああ (ā)
• (surprise): あら (ara)
• (well): あの (ano)

Etymology 2

Sound shift from 良い (ei).

Adjective

ええ • (ee) 

1. (dialectal, Kansai, Tōhoku, Chūgoku) good

   Synonym: (standard) よい (yoi)

   • 2000 July 25, 時雨沢恵一, chapter 3, in キノの旅 -the Beautiful World-, →OCLC:

     すると老(ろう)人(じん)は、
     「 […] 不(ふ)思(し)議(ぎ)じゃのう。しかし、おかげで外(はず)しやすくてええよ」

     Suru to rōjin wa,
     “ […] fushigi ja nō. Shikashi, o-kage de hazushiyasukute ee yo”

     The old man replied:
     " […] It's strange. But it's nice; it makes them easier to remove."

   • 2022 January 11, 山谷勉, “横手市で無病息災願う百万遍念仏講”, in 朝日新聞デジタル [Asahi Shimbun Digital]‎^[1]:

     この日(ひ)は冷(ひ)え込(こ)んだものの、冬(ふゆ)には珍(めずら)しく青(あお)空(ぞら)が広(ひろ)がり、「天気(てんき)えして（良(よ)くて）、えがったなあ」があいさつ代(が)わりだった。

     Kono hi wa hiekonda mono no, fuyu ni wa mezurashiku aozora ga hirogari,“tenki eshite (yokute), egatta nā” ga aisatsu-gawari datta.

     Although it was a chilly day, the sky was unusually blue for winter; "I'm so glad that the weather is good" (Akita dialect) was the substitute for a salutation.

References

• 1989. “よい【良】” 日本方言大辞典 (Nihon Hōgen Daijiten, in Japanese).