だーれだ
dāreda
The English phrase "guess who" is translated into Japanese as だーれだ (dāreda).
だーれだ is a playful phrase used when hiding your identity to make someone guess who you are. It is most commonly used during games like hide-and-seek or when someone is approaching another person from behind to surprise them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a playful, elongated version of だーれだ (dare da), which literally means "who is it?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The long vowel markers (ー) in だーれだ indicate a playful, sing-song intonation often used when playing hide-and-seek or surprise games.
How do you pronounce it?
dāreda
Did you know?
- When saying だーれだ, it is a common physical custom to cover the other person's eyes with your hands from behind before revealing yourself.
- If you were to say the phrase without the elongated vowel as だれだ, it would sound like a blunt, almost aggressive interrogation rather than a playful game.
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, the sing-song rhythm of だーれだ is often used as a trope to signal that a character is acting childish or mischievous.
Examples in context
- だーれだ？Guess who?Tatoeba #9418949 by small_snow, translation #9280428 by DJ_Saidez
- 後ろからだーれだ！ushiro kara daa re da!Guess who from behind!
- 耳の後ろから、だーれだ？mimi no ushiro kara, daa re da?Guess who, from behind your ear?
Example conversation
Yota hides behind a door to surprise Yui at home.
- 陽太 Yotaだーれだ！daa re da!Guess who!
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、陽太くん？e, Yota-kun?Eh, is it you, Yota?
- 陽太 Yota正解！seikai!Correct!
- 結衣 Yuiびっくりしたよ。bikkuri shita yo.You startled me.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
