やれやれ
yareyare[ja̠ɾe̞ja̠ɾe̞]
The Japanese phrase for "sheesh" is やれやれ (yareyare).
やれやれ is an interjection used to signal that the speaker is feeling weary, relieved or exasperated by a situation. Depending on the context, it can be translated as "sheesh", "good grief", "well, well" or even "phew".
Meaning: expression of exasperation (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
やれやれ is an informal interjection and is not suitable for use in formal business settings.
How do you pronounce it?
yareyare
Did you know?
- The word やれ (yare) on its own can function as an imperative verb meaning 'do it' or 'hurry', which is the opposite of the weary feeling found in the reduplicated やれやれ.
- In many manga and anime contexts, a character saying やれやれ while sighing is a visual and auditory cue to the audience that the character is a 'reluctant hero' type.
- Japanese has several ways to express exasperation, but やれやれ is unique because it can signal both an exhausted 'give up' and a relieved 'thank goodness' depending on the pitch.
Examples in context
- やれやれ、また雨か。Yare yare, mata ame ka.Sheesh, is it raining again?
- やれやれ、やっと終わった。Yare yare, yatto owatta.Sheesh, it's finally finished.
- やれやれ、困ったものだ。Yare yare, komatta mono da.Sheesh, this is a problem.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are working on a difficult project together.
- 蓮 Renやれやれ、計算が合わないよ。Yare yare, keisan ga awanai yo.Sheesh, the calculation doesn't match.
- 結衣 Yui本当に大変ですね。Hontou ni taihen desu ne.It really is tough, isn't it?
- 蓮 Renもう、何度やり直したことか。Mou, nando yarinaoshita koto ka.Man, how many times have I redone this?
- 結衣 Yui蓮さん、もう少し頑張りましょう。Ren-san, mou sukoshi ganbarimashou.Ren, let's try a little harder.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry やれやれ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries やれやれ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
