やら～やら

やら～やら means such things as; all sorts of. It is a JLPT N2 Japanese grammar pattern used to list multiple examples, often with a busy or messy feeling.

This grammar point often appears in advanced reading, formal writing, notices, essays, and careful conversation. If you want to read Japanese with more nuance, やら～やら is a useful pattern to learn because it shows the speaker’s logic, stance, or emphasis.

What does やら～やら mean?

Use やら～やら when you want to list multiple examples, often with a busy or messy feeling.

Natural translations include:

• such things as; all sorts of
• depending on context
• in a way that matches the speaker’s emphasis

The best translation depends on the sentence. Focus first on what relationship the pattern creates between the ideas.

How to form やら～やら

Noun / Verb dictionary form + やら + Noun / Verb dictionary form + やら

Examples of the pattern:

• 引っ越しで荷造りやら手続きやら大変だった。
• 試験前は復習するやら資料を読むやらで忙しい。
• 雨やら風やらで

In JLPT questions, pay close attention to the word immediately before the grammar point. Many wrong answers use a similar meaning but attach to the wrong form.

When is やら～やら used?

Use やら～やら in situations like:

• reading formal explanations, announcements, or essays
• making a point more precise than a basic grammar pattern would
• connecting two ideas with a clear nuance

Tone and register:

• usually neutral to formal, depending on the expression
• common in JLPT N2 reading passages, news, notices, and business-like writing

やら～やら example sentences

• 引っ越しで荷造りやら手続きやら大変だった。 — Moving was hard with things like packing and procedures.
• 試験前は復習するやら資料を読むやらで忙しい。 — Before the exam I am busy with things like reviewing and reading materials.
• 雨やら風やらで、外に出られなかった。 — With rain and wind and all that, I couldn’t go outside.
• 子どもは泣くやら叫ぶやらで、部屋は大騒ぎだった。 — The child cried and shouted and all sorts of things, so the room was chaotic.
• メールやら電話やらが次々に来た。 — Emails, phone calls, and so on came one after another.

After reading each sentence, ask what job やら～やら is doing. Is it adding, excluding, warning, emphasizing, or showing a condition? That habit makes the nuance easier to remember than a single English translation.

Nuance of やら～やら

The key nuance is list multiple examples, often with a busy or messy feeling.

This matters because N2 grammar often overlaps with easier expressions. The advanced pattern usually adds formality, emphasis, restriction, or a stronger logical relationship.

For example:

• In formal writing, やら～やら often sounds more precise than a casual equivalent.
• Compared with とか～とか, it has a different tone or scope even when the English translation looks similar.

やら～やら vs とか～とか

Both やら～やら and とか～とか can express related ideas, but they are different.

やら～やら:

• fits the N2 nuance explained above
• often sounds more specific, formal, or emphatic

とか～とか:

• is usually broader, simpler, or used in a different register
• may be better in casual conversation depending on the sentence

Quick contrast examples:

• 引っ越しで荷造りやら手続きやら大変だった。
• Try rewriting the sentence with とか～とか and notice whether the tone or meaning changes.

Common mistakes with やら～やら

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Translating it too literally and missing the function in context
• Confusing it with とか～とか just because the English translation overlaps
• Using it in casual speech when a simpler pattern would sound more natural

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with やら～やら, then compare it with a related grammar point. Explain the difference in your own words.

Is やら～やら on the JLPT?

Yes. やら～やら is commonly taught as JLPT N2 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

For test preparation, study the grammar point in full sentences. JLPT questions usually test context, not dictionary translation alone.

Practice questions for やら～やら

Try making your own sentences with these prompts:

• Write one sentence that clearly needs やら～やら.
• Write a second sentence with とか～とか and compare the nuance.
• Find a notice, article, or dialogue where this kind of meaning would be natural.

Learning path for やら～やら

To learn やら～やら efficiently, follow a path that matches this pattern’s real function.

1. First review the formation so the base structure feels natural.
2. Then compare やら～やら with とか～とか and the related lessons below. These recommendations are chosen from similar semantic or structural families.
3. Finally, write your own sentence where the context makes やら～やら necessary.

Related grammar to review next

• n5 ya — review this next because it is close in meaning, form, or register
• といった — review this next because it is close in meaning, form, or register
• n4 toka toka — review this next because it is close in meaning, form, or register

Learn やら～やら with Hane

If you want to review やら～やら together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

• All grammar lessons
• JLPT N2 grammar lessons