Comedian Hikoro Hee discusses habitual speech pattern of starting sentences with "demo" (but)

Comedian Hikoro Hee appeared on TV Asahi's official YouTube channel "Douga, Hajimete Mimashita" on the evening of June 22, where he discussed a persistent speech habit that he struggles to break. During a segment called "Darling Honne" (casual true feelings), staff asked both Hee and Saito Kyoko, a former member of Hinatasazaki46, about lifelong habits they cannot seem to change.

Hikoro Hee revealed his habit of beginning sentences with the Japanese word "demo" (but/however). He clarified that this is not the logical adversative "demo" used to negate a preceding statement, but rather a filler word or connective phrase—what linguists call a discourse marker used to soften speech, create conversational pauses, or serve as a bridge between thoughts. Examples include phrases like "demo ne..." or "iya demo saa..." where the word functions primarily as a conversational tool rather than carrying semantic negation.

Saito Kyoko immediately resonated with this habit, saying "I get it!" and "I have it too!" She acknowledged using similar patterns unconsciously, explaining that she employs the phrase to enhance conversation enjoyment and create smoother transitions between ideas. Both speakers noted that while some people may interpret this usage as negating their preceding statement, the actual intention is purely conversational—a linguistic habit rather than a confrontational pattern.

Hikoro Hee explained that this habit developed as a middle ground between overly casual youth expressions like "te yuuka" (or rather) and unnecessarily formal alternatives like "dagashikashi" (however). The filler "demo" has become his default connector in casual speech. He acknowledged that some people across different age groups find this habit irritating, interpreting it as dismissive, though he emphasized this is never his intent.

The discussion reflects broader linguistic patterns in Japanese conversation, where filler words and discourse markers serve important functions in softening tone and facilitating speech flow. Both speakers humorously acknowledged that this is likely a widespread habit among Japanese speakers, particularly within their generation, and expressed doubt that listeners would truly perceive negation or offense in such a common conversational pattern.