Japanese word

いやに

Pronunciation

Romajiiyani

Meaning

  • adverbunusually

Example

今日はいやに静かです。kyō wa i ya ni shizu ka de su

It is unusually quiet today.

Illustration for いやに (unusually)

More examples

この店はいやに空いています。ko no mise wa i ya ni a i te i ma su

There are unusually few customers in this shop.

Core concept

Highlights an unexpectedly strong quality that stands out from what is usual, sometimes with an uneasy undertone.

Common phrases

  • いやに明るいi ya ni aka ru i

    unusually bright

  • いやに丁寧i ya ni tei nei

    unusually polite

  • いやに元気i ya ni gen ki

    unusually energetic

Similar words

やけにyakeni: Marks a quality as strikingly strong or excessive, often in a casual tone.
ひときわhitokiwa: Indicates that a feature is markedly more noticeable than other features or normal levels.
随分zuibun: Indicates that something has a surprisingly large degree or intensity.

Definition in Japanese

物事の程度が予想や通常の範囲を超えているさま。驚きや不審の気持ちを伴うことがある。mono goto no tei do ga yo sō ya tsū jō no han i o ko e te i ru sa ma odoro ki ya fu shin no ki mo chi o tomona u ko to ga a ru

Word origin

The word いやに (iyani, "unusually") comes from いや (iya, "unpleasant or odd") used with に (ni) to make an adverb, and it came to express an unusually high degree.

Usage tips

  • In expressions such as いやに明るい (iyani akarui, "unusually bright"), the word can carry a mild suspicion that the noticeable quality has a reason.

Other meanings

  • awfullyadverb
  • strangelyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word