Which one should you use?
While やったー is a standard way to express excitement, you may encounter other variations: やった！ is a direct way to say "I did it!" or "I made it!" やったぁ！ is a more exaggerated version used to express intense enthusiasm. わーい！ is a cheerful exclamation for excitement or happiness. ウヒョー！ is an energetic and playful expression often used by younger generations to express excitement or surprise. And 大成功！ is used to announce a "great success!" to express accomplishment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
やったー is an informal exclamation and should not be used in formal or professional settings. For celebrating joyous occasions, one might use 万歳！, though this can sound somewhat formal in modern settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The long vowel at the end of やったー (represented by the dash) emphasizes the excitement and the elongation of the sound.
How do you pronounce it?
yattā
Did you know?
- While やったー is common, the expression 万歳 (banzai) literally means 'ten thousand years' and was historically a wish for the long reign of the Emperor.
- The phrase やったー is actually a conjugation of the verb やる, meaning 'to do'. When you shout it, you are grammatically declaring that you 'did' something, which is why it feels so much like a victory cry.
- While やったー expresses general joy, adding ぞ to create やったぞ gives the phrase a masculine and assertive tone often used by anime heroes.
Examples in context
- やった！パーティーが楽しかった！Woohoo! The party was so much fun!
- やったー！テストで満点だった！Yattā! Tesuto de manten datta!Woohoo! I got a perfect score on the test!
- やったー、やっと休みだ！Yattā, yatto yasumi da!Woohoo, finally it's a holiday!
- やったー！欲しかった靴が買えた！Yattā! Hoshikatta kutsu ga kaeta!Woohoo! I was able to buy the shoes I wanted!
Example conversation
Two friends are celebrating a winning lottery ticket.
- 結衣 Yuiやったー！当たったよ！Yattā! Atatta yo!Woohoo! We won!
- 大翔 Hirotoすごいね、結衣。本当におめでとう。Sugoi ne, Yui. Hontō ni omedetō.That's amazing, Yui. Congratulations, truly.
- 結衣 Yui大翔も一緒に喜んで！Hiroto mo issho ni yorokonde!Celebrate with me, Hiroto!
- 大翔 Hirotoもちろん、最高だよ！Mochiron, saikō da yo!Of course, this is the best!
