何やってるんだろう？
nani yatterun darou?
The Japanese phrase 何やってるんだろう？ (nani yatterun darou?) means "what am I doing?"
This phrase is used as a rhetorical expression of self-regret or confusion regarding one's own actions. It is often used when someone is reflecting on their own strange or foolish behavior.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nani (what), yatteru (doing) and darou (I wonder/probably).
Which one should you use?
While 何やってるんだろう？ is colloquial and slightly blunt, 何をしているんだろう？ is the more grammatically standard and polite version of the same thought.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
何やってるんだろう? is an informal form used for internal monologue or when talking to oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The n in yatterun is a colloquial contraction of the particle no, which adds a sense of explanation or internal monologue.
How do you pronounce it?
nani yatterun darou?
Did you know?
- While the phrase is for self-reflection, saying 何やってるの？ (nani yatteru no?) to someone else transforms the meaning from self-regret into a sharp accusation of 'what on earth are you doing?'
- The word yatteru comes from yaru, which can mean 'to do' but also 'to give' or 'to play'. Depending on the context, the phrase can sound more like 'what am I playing around with?' than 'what am I doing?'
- In Japanese media, this phrase is a common trope for characters undergoing a moral crisis or a sudden realization of their own absurdity, often delivered as a whispered internal monologue.
Examples in context
- 自分でも何やってるんだろう？jibun demo nani yatterun darou?I wonder what I am doing myself?
- 深夜に何やってるんだろう？shinya ni nani yatterun darou?What am I doing in the middle of the night?
Example conversation
Hiroto realizes he is talking to himself out loud in a library.
- 大翔 Hirotoあれ？何やってるんだろう？Are? Nani yatterun darou?Huh? What am I doing?
- 結衣 Yui大翔くん、どうしたの？Hiroto-kun, doushitano?Hiroto, what's wrong?
- 大翔 Hiroto独り言を言ってたよ。Hitorigoto o itteta yo.I was talking to myself.
- 結衣 Yuiふふっ、変な人だね。Fufu, hen na hito da ne.Hehe, you're a strange person.
