何を話し合ったのやら、結局何も決まらなかった。
I wonder what they talked about; in the end nothing was decided.
玄関に置き忘れた傘は、誰のものやら。
The umbrella left behind at the entrance — I wonder whose it is.
新しい政策がどうなることやら、予想もつきません。
I have no idea what will become of the new policy; I can't even guess.
いつまでこの雨が続くのやら。
I wonder how long this rain will continue.
彼が本当に言いたかったのは何のことやら。
I wonder what he really wanted to say — I have no clue.
こんな難しい問題、どう解いたものやら。
How on earth do you solve such a difficult problem? (I wonder.)
手紙を出したのはいいけれど、届いたかどうか、何の返事もないので、読まれたものやら。
I sent the letter, but with no reply at all, I wonder if it was even read.
いつになったら旅に出られることやら。
I wonder when I’ll finally be able to go on that trip.
After each sentence, ask: *what kind of uncertainty* — abstract action, concrete object, or abstract situation? The answer tells you which yara fits.
## Nuance of のやら / ものやら / ことやら
The core nuance is **self-directed uncertainty, often with a resigned or poetic tone**.
This is not a pattern you use to ask someone a real question; it’s for expressing that *you* don’t know. The feeling can be:
- mild bewilderment (“どうしたものかしら” softened)
- gentle lament (“いつまで
💡
Context hint: When you see a question word followed by a plain clause and のやら/ものやら/ことやら, treat the whole phrase as a single thought, not as three separate grammar points. The choice between の, もの, こと depends on what exactly you’re wondering about — an action/quality, a physical object, or a situation/event.
## のやら / ものやら / ことやら vs だろうか
Both patterns express wonder, but they have different tones and uses.
のやら / ものやら / ことやら
self-addressed, literary, no expectation of an answer
When you muse to yourself or write reflectively
どこに行ったのやら。
I wonder where (he) went. (rhetorical, resigned)
vs
だろうか
real question or speculation, can be a genuine inquiry
When you are actually wondering and might seek an answer
どこに行ったのだろうか。
Where could (he) have gone? (more likely to trigger a search)
Both can appear in writing, but だろうか is neutral whereas のやら carries an air of “who knows?” or “I’ve given up guessing.” If you say
❌
どこへ行ったものやら、すぐ探しなさい。
✅
どこへ行ったのだろうか、すぐ探しなさい。
Using ものやら as a direct question to another person sounds unnatural — you’re ordering someone to search, so you’re not musing.
❌
何のものやら、これは何ですか？
何のものやら already means “I wonder what this is.” Piling on ですか creates a contradiction — you’re both wondering to yourself and asking someone.
❌
やら～やらの用法と混同して「本やらノートやら」の並列を「本のやら」としてしまう
✅
本やらノートやら（and such）と 何の本やら（I wonder what book）は別の文型。混ぜない。
The やら～やら listing pattern (like とか～とか) is entirely different. Only the sentence-ending forms covered here express wonder.
A good check: if you could replace the ending with 〜かね（
1
Write a sentence using のやら to express that you don’t know when something will end. Use an example from your daily life (e.g., a long meeting, a rainy week).
のやら
2
You find a mysterious key. Describe the situation with ものやら, wondering what it’s for.
ものやら
3
Pick a news headline and rephrase it as if you’re pondering the outcome using ことやら.
ことやら
4
Transform a direct question (e.g., “何時に着く？”) into a self-musing sentence with the appropriate yara. How does the nuance change?
transformation
5
Compare のやら and だろうか by writing the same situation in two ways and noting the difference in tone.
compare
Keep initial sentences simple. Once the structure feels natural, layer on more context so the resigned or poetic nuance shines through.
## Learning path for のやら / ものやら / ことやら
1
Memorise the attachment rules: question word + plain clause + のやら (for verbs/adjectives) or + もの/ことやら (for nouns, with の or という).
2
Read examples aloud until the rhythm feels natural. Note how the yara ending drops the intonation — as if sighing.
3
Contrast with だろうか and かな to internalize the “self-musing, not asking” nuance. Write the same scene in three registers: casual (かな), standard (だろうか), literary (のやら).
4
Sort a list of wonder-expressions by what they wonder about (action, object, event) and test yourself on choosing の, もの, or こと correctly.
5
Incorporate のやら/ものやら/ことやら into a short diary entry or fictional internal monologue. Check whether the tone matches the rest of the text (does it feel literary? detached?).
## Related grammar to review next
- [の