Mochiron: the safe everyday yes
Mochiron is the closest match to of course and the one to reach for first. It works alone, with desu for politeness, or at the front of a fuller answer.
It carries a light warmth: not only yes, but yes without any hesitation. That makes it a good reply when someone asks whether they may do something or whether you are coming.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| もちろん！ | Mochiron! | Of course! |
| もちろんです。 | Mochiron desu. | Of course: polite |
| もちろん、いいですよ。 | Mochiron, ii desu yo. | Of course, that's fine |
| もちろん行きます。 | Mochiron ikimasu. | Of course I'll go |
| はい、もちろんです。 | Hai, mochiron desu. | Yes, of course |
Mochiron inside a sentence
Mochiron is not only a reply. Inside a sentence it concedes a point before adding another, much like of course … but in English.
It also appears in the pattern A wa mochiron, B mo, which means not only A but also B, with A presented as the obvious part.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| もちろん簡単ではありませんが、続けています。 | Mochiron kantan de wa arimasen ga, tsuzukete imasu. | Of course it isn't easy, but I'm keeping at it |
| 日本語はもちろん、英語も話せます。 | Nihongo wa mochiron, eigo mo hanasemasu. | She speaks not only Japanese but English too |
| 平日はもちろん、週末も忙しいです。 | Heijitsu wa mochiron, shūmatsu mo isogashii desu. | I'm busy not only on weekdays but at weekends too |
Tōzen: naturally, and why it can sting
Tōzen means naturally, as a matter of course, or as it should be. In descriptions it is perfectly neutral: a natural result, a right people naturally have.
As a one-word reply to a request, though, it can suggest that the question was unnecessary or even silly. Asked whether you will help, answering tōzen desu may sound more like obviously than of course.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 当然の結果です。 | Tōzen no kekka desu. | It's a natural result |
| 練習すれば上手になるのは当然です。 | Renshū sureba jōzu ni naru no wa tōzen desu. | It's only natural you improve if you practise |
| 当然だよ。 | Tōzen da yo. | Obviously: can sound blunt as a reply |
Zehi and yorokonde: the eager yes
When someone invites you or offers something, of course often means I would love to. Zehi does that: it signals real wish rather than mere agreement.
Yorokonde, with pleasure, is the reply when you are offering your own effort, such as helping, attending or taking something on. You may also hear it shouted as an enthusiastic yes by staff in some izakaya chains.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ぜひ！ | Zehi! | I'd love to! |
| ぜひお願いします。 | Zehi onegaishimasu. | Yes please, I'd love that |
| ぜひ行きたいです。 | Zehi ikitai desu. | I'd really love to go |
| 喜んで。 | Yorokonde. | With pleasure |
| 喜んでお手伝いします。 | Yorokonde o-tetsudai shimasu. | I'd be glad to help |
Of course at work
When a superior or a customer asks you to do something, the Japanese for of course is usually a word that means understood, certainly. Mochiron is not wrong, but these sound more professional.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| かしこまりました。 | Kashikomarimashita. | Certainly: to a customer or superior |
| 承知しました。 | Shōchi shimashita. | Understood, certainly |
| はい、大丈夫です。 | Hai, daijōbu desu. | Yes, that's fine |
| もちろんでございます。 | Mochiron de gozaimasu. | Of course: very polite, service |
| Situation | Best of course | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| A friend asks to borrow something | The everyday of course | Warm and quick |
| A colleague invites you to lunch | The eager I would love to | Enthusiastic |
| You offer to help with a task | With pleasure | Willing |
| Your manager gives an instruction | Certainly, understood | Professional |
| A customer makes a request | The very polite certainly | Service register |
Casual versions and teasing
Among friends, of course shrinks to a short un, mochiron or simply ii yo. Atarimae, obvious, is the casual cousin of tōzen, and atarimae jan is a teasing obviously that only works with people you are close to.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| うん、もちろん。 | Un, mochiron. | Yeah, of course |
| いいよ。 | Ii yo. | Sure |
| 当たり前じゃん。 | Atarimae jan. | Obviously! (very casual, teasing) |
| 当たり前でしょ。 | Atarimae desho. | Well, obviously (casual, can sound sharp) |
Choosing in real time
The decision is quick once you ask one question: is this a request, an invitation or an instruction? Requests take mochiron, invitations take zehi, offers of help take yorokonde, and instructions from above take kashikomarimashita.
Unihongo's roleplay missions, such as Find a Friend at a Festival, Hotel Check-in Problem and Win Support Before the Meeting, cover social, service and workplace moments where these replies come up, so you can hear how each one lands.