Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

Repeating Words in Japanese

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
13 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

Each language has features which make them unique. Some languages like Chinese or Thai are highly tonal for example (Japanese is not, thank the kami), while most languages of Europe assign gender to objects with seeming randomness. Back in the days when watching anime meant staring at the screen wondering what was going on (there wasn’t a lot of subtitled anime in the early 80s), one word that stood out frequently was ware-ware 我々 (pronounced WAH-reh WAH-reh), which is the Chinese character for “I” but repeated, creating the meaning of “we” (kind of logical). This repeating of words is a feature of the Japanese language, heard in words like 昔々 mukashi-mukashi (“a long time ago”), 山々 yama-yama (the “mountain” character doubled, referring to many mountains) or 人々 hito-bito (the character for “person” repeated, creating “people”). The word for “time” is 時 toki, and to say “sometimes” you just repeat the word, e.g. 時々 toki-doki, which always elicits giggles in Japanese class as it’s rather close to “okee dokee.” Some other words get repeated, for example onomatopoeia like pika pika (the sound of electricity crackling), or my favorite brand of caffeine gum, Black Black.

Breetai in the Macross Movie said ware-ware all the time.

Tags: Japanese languageMacrossrobotech

More Posts Like This

The Top Anime Music Created By Yoko Kanno
Your Friend in Japan

Legendary Anime Composer Yoko Kanno: 10 Times She Changed Our Lives

by Peter Payne
4 months ago

Today is the birthday of Yoko Kanno, the amazing anime composer, arranger, and producer who has created some of the...

Robotech 40th Anniversary Blog Post
Your Friend in Japan

Robotech Turns 40! How Did It Revolutionize Anime?

by Peter Payne
5 months ago

Tomorrow, March 4, marks the 40th anniversary of Robotech, the influential early anime adaptation that helped usher in the modern...

When The Subtitles Substitute Name For Onii Chan

Onii-chan, No! When Translators Don’t Follow Japanese Naming Conventions

8 months ago
Japanese Is Similar To Spanish Blog

Why Is Japanese So Similar to Spanish? Let’s Compare Both Languages!

10 months ago
What Does Bitch Mean In Japanese

Bitch Means What in Japanese?? Nine Times Japan Changed the Meaning of Words

12 months ago
Lynn Minmei First Japanese Seiyuu Voice

Who Was Your First Japanese Seiyuu? Lynn Minmei Was Mine!

2 years ago
Next Post
Jlistbig Appexo W

Invisible Japanese Social Rules: "Another" Edition

Trending Today

The Top 11 Anime Sex Scenes Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Happy Sex Day! Let’s Rank the 11 Most Surprising Ecchi Scenes in Anime

1 month ago
Yandere Dark Elf Episode 1 Featured Image
Featured

Yandere Dark Elf, Episode 1 — Love Heavier than Chocolate Melons!

3 months ago
Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime Web Cover
News

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime and Where to Watch Them

4 months ago
Haite Kudasai, Takamine San Episode 9 Featured Image
Featured

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 9 — Slippery When Wet!

2 weeks ago
Dengeki Moeoh August 2025 Cover
Anime Magazine

What’s Inside Dengeki Moeoh August 2025? Ecchi Illustrations, Posters, Art, and More!

7 days ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Seishun.Buta.Yarou.wa.Santa.Claus.no.Yume.wo.Minai Blog Post
Your Friend in Japan

Seishun Buta Yarou Returns! Why You Should Not Miss ‘Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus’

by Peter Payne
July 14, 2025

Dandadan S2 Pulls No Punches (and the Fight Scenes Hit Hard, Too)

Cultural Exchange with a Game Center Girl — A Kawaii Romance

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider and Fight Shocker

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 10 — Fall Brings Chill and Friction!

Hottest Cosplay for Summer 2025 Anime Season

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.