Japanese word

やや

Pronunciation

Romajiyaya

Meaning

  • adverba little

Example

このかばんはやや大きいです。ko no ka ba n wa ya ya ō ki i de su

This bag is a little big.

Illustration for やや (a little)

More examples

今日はやや涼しいです。kyō wa ya ya suzu shi i de su

It is slightly cool today.

Core concept

Marks a small degree or a slight difference without making it the main focus.

Common phrases

  • やや高いya ya taka i

    slightly expensive

  • やや難しいya ya muzuka shi i

    slightly difficult

  • やや遅いya ya oso i

    slightly late

Similar words

少しsukoshi: To a small degree or amount, often in everyday speech.
ちょっとchotto: To a small degree, often in casual speech.

Definition in Japanese

程度が少しであることを表す。tei do ga suko shi de a ru ko to o arawa su

Word origin

やや (yaya) is a native Japanese adverb, with the older form ややに (yayani) expressing a gradual or small degree.

Usage tips

  • やや (yaya) appears more often in careful, written, or formal speech than in casual conversation, where 少し (sukoshi) is common.

Opposites

Word lists with this word