い

JLPT Level: N5

Meanings

So?

Well? (friendly or familiar)

What now?

And then?

Usage

Sentence-ending interjection: い used to prompt continuation

Standalone interjection: い as a casual, friendly tease or prompt

Explanation

い here is a casual, friendly interjection added at the end of a thought or statement to invite the other person to say more. It acts like a short, punchy cue meaning 'So?', 'Well?', or 'And then?'—not a full sentence on its own. It’s commonly used among friends or in relaxed talk to keep the conversation going. It is informal and can sound playful or familiar depending on intonation and context.

今日は忙しかった。い。

きょうはいそがしかった。い。

Today was busy. So? (Well, what happened?)

彼は来ると言っていた。い。

かれはくるといっていた。い。

He said he would come. So? (What happened with that?)

この映画、面白い。い。

このえいが、おもしろい。い。

This movie is interesting. Well? (Tell me more about why you think so.)