いろいろな
iroiro na
The English word 'various' is translated into Japanese as いろいろな (iroiro na) or 様々な.
Meaning: an eclectic range of (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| いろいろな | iroiro na |
| 様々な | samazama na |
Both forms are used to describe an eclectic range of things.
What does it mean word for word?
The root of いろいろ comes from いろ, which means 'color', implying a variety of colors or types.
Which one should you use?
様々な is more formal and literary than いろいろな.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can use the phrase as an adverb by dropping the な to form いろいろ, which means 'in various ways' or 'variously'.
How do you pronounce it?
iroiro na
Did you know?
- While いろいろ is used for 'various', the phrase いろいろとお疲れ様です is a common workplace greeting that does not mean 'you are variously tired' but rather acknowledges all the different efforts someone has put into their work.
- In Japanese, using いろいろ to describe a person' enough to imply they are 'complicated' or 'unreliable' in certain contexts.
- Japanese has a specific concept called いろどり, derived from the same root as いろいろ, which refers not just to various colors but to the aesthetic beauty created by a diverse arrangement of things.
Examples in context
- いろいろな理由がある。There are various reasons.This sentence shows how to use いろいろな to describe reasons.Tatoeba #11897814 by small_snow, translation #12296751 by CK
- 私はいろいろな布を買った。I bought various pieces of cloth.This sentence shows how to use いろいろな to describe cloth.Tatoeba #161335 by bunbuku, translation #2427847 by CK
- 部屋にはいろいろなものがあった。There were various articles in the room.This sentence shows how to use いろいろな to describe articles in a room.Tatoeba #84234 by small_snow, translation #319481 by CM
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travel plans.
- 大翔 Hiroto今年はいろいろな国に行きたいです。Kotoshi wa iroirona kuni ni ikitai desu.I want to visit various countries this year.
- 陽葵 Himariいいですね！どこが一番気になりますか？Ii desu ne! Doko ga ichiban ki ni narimasu ka?That sounds great! Which one are you most interested in?
- 大翔 Hirotoまずはヨーロッパのいろいろな都市を回りたいです。Mazu wa Yooroppa no iroirona toshi o mawaritai desu.First, I want to tour various cities in Europe.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さんは本当に旅が好きなんだね。Hiroto-san wa hontou ni tabi ga suki nanda ne.Hiroto, you really do love traveling.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “various” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
