How to Say "There, There" in Japanese

よしよし

yoshi yoshi[jo̞ɕijo̞ɕi]

The English phrase "there, there" is translated into Japanese as よしよし (yoshi yoshi).

よしよし is used to soothe or calm someone who is in a state of distress, such as a child or a pet.

Meaning: used to calm somebody (intj)

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is a repetition of the word yoshi, which means "good" or "all right".

This is an informal expression. It is not used in formal or professional settings to comfort adults.

yoshi yoshi

When using this phrase, it is often accompanied by a gentle patting motion on the head or the back.

While よしよし is used for soothing, the same characters can be read as yoshi yoshi in a different context to mean 'lucky' or 'fortunate', depending on the kanji used.
If you use the single word よし instead of the doubled よしよし, you shift from comforting a person to motivating yourself. A single よし functions like a verbal 'right then!' used to psych oneself up before starting a task.
In Japanese media like anime, the phrase is a recognizable trope used to signal a character's 'big sibling' archetype. This trope is used to show a protective or nurturing nature, even if the characters are not biologically related.

よしよし、アイスを買ってやるわ。
There, there, I'll buy you an ice cream.
The sentence shows how to use よしよし when offering a treat to someone being comforted.
Wiktionary
よしよし、泣かないで。
yoshi yoshi, nakanaide.
There, there, don't cry.
よしよし、怖かったね。
yoshi yoshi, kowakatta ne.
There, there, you were scared, weren't you?

Yui is comforting Yota after he tripped and scraped his knee.

Sources

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