A
Japanese sentence
particle that is basically a confirmation-seeker.
Intonation gives different meanings. See also
ka and
yo.
Compared to "
ne", this particle is traditionally associated with
men, or people trying to sound like
gangsters or
old school samurai. In this
modern day, both sexes do use it, sliding it's association over to a more general
aggression,
straightforwardness, or
crudity. I credit this to the general
shape of the mouth used when speaking the "
eh" sound compared to the "
ah" sound. "Eh" requires a more closed position of jaw and throat, making a higher pitched noise. "Ah" can be vocalized more openly and loudly, leading to a lower and growlier
pitch.
Not all the samurai were
polite, you know.