〜やら〜やら: 'What With ~ And ~' (Meaning + Examples)
Listing things (or feelings) that pile up
〜やら〜やら connects two or more nouns (or plain-form verbs/adjectives) to suggest a jumble of tasks or a mix of conflicting emotions, often followed by a comment on how tiring, confusing, or overwhelming it all is.
引っ越しの準備で、掃除やら荷造りやらで大変だ。
ひっこしの じゅんびで、そうじやら にづくりやらで たいへんだ。
What with cleaning and packing for the move, it's exhausting.
Two tasks piling up, with more implied.
合格したと聞いて、嬉しいやら驚くやらだった。
ごうかくしたと きいて、うれしいやら おどろくやらだった。
Hearing that I passed, I felt happy, surprised — all mixed together.
Mixed, jumbled emotions rather than one clean feeling.
やったんは初めての遠足で、楽しいやら緊張するやらで、朝からずっとそわそわしていた。
やったんは はじめての えんそくで、たのしいやら きんちょうするやらで、あさから ずっと そわそわ していた。
On his first field trip, Yattan felt excited and nervous all mixed together, and had been fidgety since morning.
Original example: two conflicting feelings on one big day.
Form: Noun/Verb/Adjective + やら + Noun/Verb/Adjective + やら
Each やら follows a noun in its plain form, or a verb/adjective in plain form. The list is typically two items, occasionally followed by a summarizing comment like 大変だ or 忙しい.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N1やら + N2やら | 宿題やらバイトやら = homework and part-time work, among other things |
| Plain-form verb/adjective | V/A(plain)やら + V/A(plain)やら | 嬉しいやら悲しいやら = happy, sad, all at once |
彼は何やらブツブツ言っている。
かれは なにやら ぶつぶつ いっている。
He's muttering something or other under his breath.
A related use of standalone やら for vague uncertainty.
Not the same as 〜とか〜とか
〜とか〜とか also lists examples casually ("things like A and B"), but it's neutral — just a relaxed way to name a couple of items. 〜やら〜やら adds the flavor of confusion, being overwhelmed, or mixed feelings; it's not just "for example," it's "and it's a lot to deal with." Reach for やら〜やら when the list itself is part of the complaint.
The short version
- 〜やら〜やら = "what with (A) and (B)..." — a jumbled, overwhelming list of things or feelings.
- Attaches to: nouns, or plain-form verbs/adjectives, each followed by やら.
- Nuance/register: conversational; implies chaos, overwhelm, or mixed emotion, with more left unsaid.
- Don't confuse with: 〜とか〜とか, a neutral, casual "such as A and B" without the overwhelmed nuance.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 〜やら〜やら to describe a jumble of tasks or mixed feelings.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
引っ越しの準備で、掃除やら＿＿＿で大変だ。
Where 〜やら〜やら fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- など・とか · N4 — など and とか give non-exhaustive examples. Learn 〜など ('such as', 'and so on'), casual 〜とか〜とか ('things like A and B'), the softening お茶など, and how they pair with や.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜ようでは — 〜ようでは means 'if (this) is the state of things' — a current situation, if it continues, will lead to a bad result. Used to criticize or warn, often followed by a negative conclusion.
- 要するに — 要するに is a conjunction meaning 'in short' or 'the point is' — it introduces a summary or rephrasing of what was just said, boiling a longer explanation down to its essence.
- 〜に向かって — 〜に向かって attaches to a noun and means 'toward / facing,' marking physical motion toward a place, effort aimed at a goal, or words directed at a person: 駅に向かって走る ('run toward the station').
- 〜において — 〜において is the formal, written equivalent of で/に, marking a location, time, or field of activity: 現代において ('in modern times'). Learn the pattern plus its adnominal form における.
- 〜ものなら — 〜ものなら follows a potential verb to mean 'if only I could' (できるものなら、やってみたい) or, with a volitional verb, to warn of dire consequences for a rash attempt.
- 〜ようがない — 〜ようがない means 'there's no way to (do something)' — the means or method to do it simply doesn't exist, usually because key information or resources are missing. Neutral-to-frustrated in tone.