Is “AWESOME” a Good Word to Use in a Conversation Between You and Your Date?

One of my girlfriends in California, who is her mid-thirties often says, “Sounds Awesome!” I like to hear that kind of positive word since she is always happy and encouraging her friends around her.

I recently introduced the phrase, “Sounds Awesome!”, in my newsletter for female members because I thought “Sounds Awesome!” is a miracle phrase to make their email conversation vivid and male members who hear this word are going to be happy. I thought that “Sounds Awesome!” sounds much more human than just use “Sounds Great.”

Right after I sent my newsletter to our female members, one of our readers (She is Japanese), who is not one of our members,  wrote to me that it would be better NOT to use “Sounds Awesome!” when communicating with native speakers of English. She believes that “Sounds Awesome!” is a kind of slang, and it “Sounds Awful” if professional men hear that phrase. She said that she belongs to an organization of English education in JAPAN.

I would like to ask all professional men who are English native speakers about this topic.

Is it a bad idea for Japanese women to use “Sounds Awesome” when communicating with their dates?

Does it sound childish or immature?

I asked my ESL teacher in California, and he said that using “Sounds Awesome” is not that bad, but it is still slang, so it would be better to consider who you are speaking to and where you are with him. He also suggested not to use “Awesome” in a business meeting.

I understand.

I am so curious about learning new words, so I also asked some of my friends and here is my understanding of what they thought.  I would like to know more about the word “Awesome” 

For example, if both A and B are teenagers, and A is showing his new motorcycle to B.

A: Hey, this is my new motorcycle!

B: That’s Awesome!

I understand it is natural if “Awesome!” is in teenagers’ conversation.

n another example, if both A and B are adults, and a guy gives his girlfriend a gift in a fancy restaurant.
A: Happy birthday! Here is my birthday gift to you…..
B: WOW…. That’s Awesome!!!!

Do you think she is childish?
Do you think she should say “That’s MARVELOUS!!!” instead? (I was taught the word MARVELOUS, but I have never heard that American people use this word in their everyday conversation.  Is it British English?????)


Generally speaking, do you think that adults should not use the word “Awesome”  in everyday conversation? I am still questioning if “Awesome”  is such a poor word choice?????

I also asked my husband, and he explained, that he sees these positive words as progressing from lower to highest levels of power:

Good < Great < Super < Awesome.
He feels that “Awesome” is more expressive than good, great, or super. He also believes that anyone is free to use words they want as this is an honest expression of that person.

I also asked my mother in law who is in her 70’s. She personally doesn’t use the word “Awesome!” but she feels enthusiastic when she hears the word from someone.

Right after I asked her, she gave me a newspaper article which had the word “Awesome”. If it is used in a newspaper article, it means that it is an acceptable word, which leads me to think that awesome is not a poor word choice even though it is slang. But I am still unclear about how to use the word “Awesome” .

I asked one guy in SNS who is an AMERICAN living in JAPAN. He said you shouldn't use “Awesome”  in your business meeting.

I noticed that all of them didn’t say that “Awesome” is only for adults.

I understand that we must use language differently in time, place, and occasion (private vs. public). However, English is not the first language for Japanese people; we need to learn everyday English more than English in the text book. I mean if Japanese people get used to the verbal English, communicating with native English speakers would be more natural.

A language lives in each moment and words and phrases are always changing since human beings were born. I think it would be great to use words and phrases that are vivid, and it helps to create more dynamic relationships with others than using ordinary words. I learned the word “Marvelous” in the textbook when I lived in Japan, but unfortunately, I do not have many opportunities to hear it in my life in the US. People study Shakespeare, but I don’t think many people speak Shakespearean English in the 21st century.

ANYWAY, I would like to ask all my blog readers if it sounds fine or childish for a 30 year old woman to say “Awespme!” to her boyfriend when she receives a gift?

Thank you for your help!!!!

Naoko 

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