〜やら〜やら
- 1Lists representative examples among others, often suggesting busyness, confusion, or trouble.Ex. 1
- 2Expresses two or more emotions felt at once, leaving the speaker overwhelmed.Ex. 2
Verb (dictionary form)The basic form of a verb, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
行く・食べる・する・来る
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 行かない・行った・行かなかった.
Verb (ta-form)The plain past form of a verb, ending in た／だ.
行った・食べた・した・来（き）た
Verb (dictionary form)The basic form of a verb, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
行く・食べる・する・来る
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 行かない・行った・行かなかった.
Verb (ta-form)The plain past form of a verb, ending in た／だ.
行った・食べた・した・来（き）た
i-adj. (dictionary form)The basic form of an i-adjective, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
高い・おいしい・新しい
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 高くない・高かった・高くなかった.
i-adj. (ta-form)The plain past form of an i-adjective: the final い changes to かった.
高かった・おいしかった・よかった（いい）
i-adj. (dictionary form)The basic form of an i-adjective, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
高い・おいしい・新しい
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 高くない・高かった・高くなかった.
i-adj. (ta-form)The plain past form of an i-adjective: the final い changes to かった.
高かった・おいしかった・よかった（いい）
na-adj. stemA na-adjective without な, i.e. the form listed in a dictionary.
静か・きれい・好き
Add な before a noun (静かな部屋); as a predicate, follow it with だ／です (静かだ).
Followed by: often 「で」 to show a cause, also 「と」「など」, or straight into what follows
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Used in both speech and writing to list a few things that stand for a busy or chaotic situation, or to describe feelings that are mixed or conflicting. Unlike neutral listing forms such as とか or 〜たり〜たりする, it adds a sense of being overwhelmed or of things piling up. The sentence usually ends with a result such as being busy, tired, or moved to tears.
Do not use やら〜やら to offer choices or suggestions; it describes existing things or feelings, not options to pick from.
Note that when listing things or actions, the items are only examples, but with mixed feelings the listed emotions may be the whole picture.
Learners should attach やら to each listed item, not only to the last one.
- 1.だの〜だのN2「だの〜だの」 also gives examples, but with a much stronger tone of dissatisfaction or criticism; it often lists other people's complaints or excuses, frequently followed by 「と言う」, and is colloquial. Unlike 「やら」, it cannot interweave mixed feelings to convey complicated emotions.
- 2.とかN5Both can list examples, but 「とか」 is a colloquial, neutral way of listing, while 「やら」 carries a sense of bustle or jumbled emotions. 「とか」 also has a hearsay usage; to express complicated feelings, use 「やら」.
- 3.〜たり〜たりするN5「〜たり〜たりする」 lists things neutrally and also expresses alternating repetition; nouns take the form 「だったり」, and the sentence often ends with 「する」. 「やら」 attaches directly to nouns and conveys a hectic or emotionally mixed atmosphere; when 「たり」 lists feelings, the nuance is rather flat.
- 4.なり〜なりN1「なり〜なり」 means choosing one option from among several, often used in suggestions or requests, with the sentence typically ending in 「しなさい」 and the like. 「やら〜やら」 conveys clutter or complicated feelings and cannot be used to have someone choose something; the two are not interchangeable.
- 5.というか〜というかN1「というか」 merely offers two ways of saying the same thing and cannot list different items to convey busyness. It is close to the second sense of 「やら」, but it emphasizes being unsure which word to use; it is often followed by 「とにかく」 to wrap up, and can also be left unfinished.
だの〜だの also lists items but is more colloquial and often carries complaint or criticism, while とか and 〜たり〜たりする are neutral listings without the sense of being overwhelmed. なり〜なり presents alternative choices or suggestions, and というか〜というか expresses difficulty finding the right description, whereas やら〜やら lists things piling up or feelings mixing together.
