はいはい
hai hai
The English phrase "yeah yeah" is expressed in Japanese as はいはい (hai hai).
はいはい is an informal way to agree with or acknowledge what someone is saying. It is often used to signal that the speaker has heard enough about a certain topic and wants to move on. Because of this, it can come across as impatient or dismissive.
Which one should you use?
While the single word はい means "yes," repeating it as はいはい makes the phrase significantly more dismissive or impatient than using the single word alone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
はいはい is informal. You should avoid using it toward superiors or in formal settings because it can sound condescending. For casual agreement among friends and peers, you might instead use phrases like うん、そうだね。 or うん、その通り。 which means "Yeah, that's correct."
How do you pronounce it?
hai hai
Did you know?
- The phrase はいはい can be a homophone for the reduplication of the verb 'to crawl', which is はいはい from the verb 'hau'.
- In Japanese, the act of listening is as active as speaking. The practice of using sounds like はい to show you are paying attention is called 'aizuchi'.
- Using はいはい can be much more insulting than simply saying 'no'. In Japanese social hierarchy, dismissing someone's words with repetition is often seen as a greater sign of disrespect than direct disagreement.
Examples in context
- はいはい。Yeah, yeah.This example shows the phrase used in a simple context.Tatoeba #10906676 by small_snow, translation #10911297 by Ag12x
- 「お前、見かけによらず変態だな」「変態じゃないし。私は清純派の乙女よ」「はいはい、よく言うよ」"Despite appearances, you're a pervert." "I'm not a pervert. I'm a pure and innocent young girl." "Yeah, yeah, give me a break."This example shows the phrase being used to dismiss someone's claim.Tatoeba #2719041 by tommy_san, translation #2729896 by WestofEden
- はいはい、わかってるって。Hai hai, wakatterutte.Yeah yeah, I get it.
Example conversation
Misaki is nagging Yota about doing the dishes.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、早く皿を洗ってよ。Yota, hayaku sara o aratte yo.Yota, hurry up and wash the dishes.
- 陽太 Yotaはいはい、今やるよ。Hai hai, ima yaru yo.Yeah yeah, I'll do it now.
- 美咲 Misakiさっきもそう言ったじゃない。Sakki mo sou itta janai.You said that just a moment ago.
- 陽太 Yota分かってるって、すぐやるから。Wakatterutte, sugu yarukara.I know, I'll do it right away.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries はいはい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
