〜やら〜やら
yara … yara
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
… and … and so on (an unordered list, often overwhelming)
〜やら〜やら lists two representative items from a larger, messy set: 準備やら手続きやらで忙しい. It suggests there are more items and that the speaker feels a little overwhelmed or confused. With adjectives (嬉しいやら恥ずかしいやら) it describes mixed feelings.
Both speech and writing, slightly colloquial. Common in complaints about being busy and in descriptions of chaotic scenes. A different use, 〜のやら〜のやら, expresses not knowing which (行くのやら行かないのやら).
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
Noun やら Noun やらVerb (dictionary form) やら Verb やらい-adjective やら い-adjective やら〜のやら〜のやら / 〜のやら分からない (I wonder whether)
Visual diagram
| Aspect | 〜やら〜やら | 〜とか〜とか | 〜や〜など |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeling | overwhelmed, chaotic, mixed | casual listing of examples | neutral listing |
| Register | colloquial to written | casual speech | neutral, written |
| Example | 準備やら手続きやらで忙しい | パンとかご飯とか | パンや牛乳などを買った |
Natural examples
引っ越しの準備やら手続きやらで、毎日忙しい。
ひっこしのじゅんびやらてつづきやらで、まいにちいそがしい。
With moving preparations and paperwork and so on, I am busy every day.
Overwhelmed by tasks: preparations and paperwork and more.
嬉しいやら恥ずかしいやらで、顔が赤くなった。
うれしいやらはずかしいやらで、かおがあかくなった。
Being happy and embarrassed at the same time, my face turned red.
Mixed feelings: happy and embarrassed at once.
泣くやら笑うやら、大騒ぎだった。
なくやらわらうやら、おおさわぎだった。
With crying and laughing, it was quite a commotion.
A chaotic scene: crying and laughing.
引っ越しで、掃除やら荷造りやらで一日が終わった。
ひっこしで、そうじやらにづくりやらでいちにちがおわった。
With cleaning and packing and everything else for the move, the day was gone.
やら〜やらで: 'what with… and…'.
彼が本当に来るのやら来ないのやら、はっきりしない。
かれがほんとうにくるのやらこないのやら、はっきりしない。
Whether he is really coming or not is unclear.
〜のやら〜のやら: uncertainty about which.
Similar grammar and the difference
〜とか〜とか
Casual examples without the overwhelmed nuance.
〜や〜(など)
Neutral list.
Two items of the same tendency, stated as facts. Compare side by side
〜だの〜だの
Similar to やら, but with a critical, complaining tone.
Common mistakes
- ✗
- パンやら牛乳やらを買った。(neutral shopping)
- ✓
- パンや牛乳などを買った。
- Why
- For a neutral list use や〜など; やら implies confusion or excess.
- ✗
- 嬉しいやら恥ずかしい。
- ✓
- 嬉しいやら恥ずかしいやら。
- Why
- Use やら after both items.
- ✗
- 勉強やら仕事やらで、暇だ。
- ✓
- 勉強やら仕事やらで、忙しい。
- Why
- The main clause should reflect the overwhelmed feeling.
やら〜やらで is the most common frame, followed by 忙しい / 大変だ. With emotions: 嬉しいやら悲しいやら, 驚くやら呆れるやら. Noun + やら can also stand alone: 何やら (something or other).
JLPT N2 tips
On the exam
- If the sentence ends with 忙しい / 大変だ / 大騒ぎ and lists two items, choose やら〜やら.
- Distractors include とか, や, も〜ば〜も. Look for the overwhelmed or confused nuance.
- 〜のやら〜のやら appears in reading as 'not knowing which'.
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜やら〜やら mean?
… and … and so on (an unordered list, often overwhelming). 〜やら〜やら lists two representative items from a larger, messy set: 準備やら手続きやらで忙しい. It suggests there are more items and that the speaker feels a little overwhelmed or confused. With adjectives (嬉しいやら恥ずかしいやら) it describes mixed feelings.
How do you form 〜やら〜やら?
Noun やら Noun やら / Verb (dictionary form) やら Verb やら / い-adjective やら い-adjective やら / 〜のやら〜のやら / 〜のやら分からない (I wonder whether). V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜やら〜やら used?
Both speech and writing, slightly colloquial. Common in complaints about being busy and in descriptions of chaotic scenes. A different use, 〜のやら〜のやら, expresses not knowing which (行くのやら行かないのやら).
What is the difference between 〜やら〜やら and 〜とか〜とか?
Casual examples without the overwhelmed nuance.
What is the difference between 〜やら〜やら and 〜や〜(など)?
Neutral list.
What is a common mistake with 〜やら〜やら?
Wrong: パンやら牛乳やらを買った。(neutral shopping) Right: パンや牛乳などを買った。 For a neutral list use や〜など; やら implies confusion or excess.
Quick check
年末は大掃除（ ）年賀状（ ）で、毎日忙しい。