Japanese word

どうやら

Pronunciation

Romajidōyara

Meaning

  • adverbapparently

Example

どうやら今日は休みのようです。dō ya ra kyō wa yasu mi no yō de su

Apparently, today is a day off.

Illustration for どうやら (apparently)

More examples

何度電話しても出ないので、どうやら寝ているようです。nan do den wa shi te mo de na i no de dō ya ra ne te i ru yō de su

Since they do not answer no matter how many times I call, they are probably asleep.

Core concept

Presents something as a likely conclusion based on available clues while leaving room for doubt.

Common phrases

  • どうやら留守らしいdō ya ra ru su ra shi i

    apparently away

  • どうやら遅れるようだdō ya ra oku re ru yō da

    apparently late

  • どうやら無理らしいdō ya ra mu ri ra shi i

    apparently impossible

Similar words

もしやmoshiya: Introduces a tentative possibility that the speaker has begun to suspect.
おそらくosoraku: Presents something as probable, often in a more formal or measured way.
たぶんtabun: Expresses an uncertain guess about what is likely to happen or be true.

Definition in Japanese

はっきり確認したわけではないが、状況から見てそのようだと考えられるさま。ha kki ri kaku nin shi ta wa ke de wa na i ga jō kyō ka ra mi te so no yō da to kanga e ra re ru sa ma

Word origin

どうやら (dōyara) is traditionally analyzed as どう (dō, "how") combined with やら (yara), a particle that marks uncertainty, forming an adverb for an inferred conclusion.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, どうやら (dōyara) often makes an inference sound less definite than a direct statement based on confirmed information.

Other meanings

  • likelyadverb
  • possiblyadverb

Word lists with this word