Japanese word

まあまあ

Pronunciation

Romajimāmā

Meaning

  • adverbnot bad

Example

仕事はまあまあできました。shi goto wa mā mā de ki ma shi ta

I did a fairly good job.

Illustration for まあまあ (not bad)

More examples

この映画はまあまあ面白かったです。ko no ei ga wa mā mā omo shiro ka tta de su

The movie was fairly interesting.

Core concept

Describes something as reaching an acceptable level without being especially good.

Common phrases

  • まあまあいいmā mā i i

    pretty good

  • まあまあできるmā mā de ki ru

    do fairly well

  • まあまあおいしいmā mā o i shi i

    fairly tasty

Similar words

そこそこsokosoko: Describes something as reaching a moderate or acceptable level.
まずまずmazumazu: Describes something as reasonably satisfactory without being outstanding.
それなりにsorenarini: Describes something as having a certain degree of quality or success.

Definition in Japanese

十分に良いとはいえないが、悪くはなく、ある程度の水準に達しているさま。jū bun ni yo i to wa i e na i ga waru ku wa na ku a ru tei do no sui jun ni tas shi te i ru sa ma

Word origin

The adverb まあまあ (mā mā) is a reduplicated form of まあ (mā), an interjection that softens an assessment; repetition gives it a moderate sense.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, まあまあ (mā mā) often gives a modest answer about performance, so it can mean "not bad" rather than a strict average.

Other meanings

  • so-soadverb
  • passableadverb

Word lists with this word