Japanese word

いちいち

Pronunciation

Romajiichiichi

Meaning

  • adverbevery single time

Example

同じことをいちいち聞きます。ona ji ko to o i chi i chi ki ki ma su

You ask the same thing every single time.

Illustration for いちいち (every single time)

More examples

そんな細かいことをいちいち説明しません。so n na koma ka i ko to o i chi i chi setsu mei shi ma se n

I do not explain every little thing.

Core concept

It treats each occurrence or small detail as a separate case, often implying that the repetition or attention is unnecessary.

Common phrases

  • いちいち説明するi chi i chi setsu mei su ru

    explain every little thing

  • いちいち気にするi chi i chi ki ni su ru

    worry about every little thing

Similar words

毎回maikai: It refers to every occasion when something happens, without adding a sense of irritation.
一つ一つhitotsuhitotsu: It considers or handles each part separately, one after another.
逐一chikuichi: It deals with every item or detail individually and in full.

Definition in Japanese

物事を一つ一つ取り上げたり、同じことをそのたびに繰り返したりするさま。mono goto o hito tsu hito tsu to ri a ge ta ri ona ji ko to o so no ta bi ni ku ri kae shi ta ri su ru sa ma

Word origin

The adverb いちいち (ichiichi) comes from 一一 (ichiichi, "each one"), a repeated form of 一 (ichi, "one").

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, いちいち (ichiichi) often adds a mildly annoyed tone when it describes repeated questions or attention to small details.

Other meanings

  • one by oneadverb
  • every little thingadverb

Word lists with this word