あらあら
ara ara
The English phrase "oh my oh my" can be translated into Japanese as あらあら (ara ara).
あらあら is an informal expression used to express mild surprise, sympathy or concern toward a situation or person. While あらあら is used for these specific nuances, the exclamation わあ is an informal way to convey surprise or excitement.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
あらあら is typically associated with feminine speech or a gentle, maternal tone.
How do you pronounce it?
ara ara
Did you know?
- Using あらあら to react to a major crisis or a shocking tragedy might make you sound strangely detached or overly calm, as if you are observing a small, minor inconvenience instead of a real problem.
- In anime and pop culture, the phrase あらあら is frequently used by specific character archetypes to signal that a character is calm, composed, and perhaps slightly teasing or condescending toward a younger protagonist.
- The word あら can also be used as a command to 'stop' or 'end' something in very specific archaic contexts, though this is completely unrelated to the exclamation あらあら.
Examples in context
- 「おやまあ、それは驚きです！」Oh my oh my, that is surprising!
- 「わあ、すごい！」Oh my, that's amazing!
- 「おおお、本当に？！」Oh my, really?!
- あらあら、そんなに泣かないで。Ara ara, sonna ni nakanaide.Oh my, please don't cry so much.
- あらあら、本当に大変ね。Ara ara, hontou ni taihen ne.Oh my, that really is difficult, isn't it?
- あらあら、見て、あんなに大きい猫がいるわ。Ara ara, mite, anna ni ookii neko ga iru wa.Oh my, look, there is such a big cat.
Example conversation
Yui sees Kenta's spilled coffee on his white shirt.
- 結衣 Yuiあらあら、健太さん、シャツが汚れているわよ。Ara ara, Kenta-san, shatsu ga yogorete iru wa yo.Oh my, Kenta, your shirt is dirty.
- 健太 Kentaあ、本当だ。コーヒーをこぼしてしまった。A, hontou da. Koohii o koboshite shimatta.Ah, you're right. I spilled my coffee.
- 結衣 Yui大丈夫？すぐ拭けばいいわ。Daijoubu? Sugu nukeba ii wa.Are you okay? You should wipe it off immediately.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう、助かるよ。Arigatou, tasukaru yo.Thanks, that helps a lot.
