What does “iyoiyo” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “iyoiyo” to mean ‘more and more’, ‘increasingly’, ‘finally’, or ‘eventually’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “iyoiyo” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “iyoiyo”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “iyoiyo”.
- iyoiyo – いよいよ : an adverb meaning ‘more and more’, ‘increasingly’, ‘finally’, ‘eventually’, or such in Japanese.
Japanese native speakers use this adverb mainly in two different ways: to say that someone or something is nearing the moment; to say that someone or something has reached the moment. This adverb has the kanji expression, “愈々”, but it is very rarely used. So, we can focus only on its hiragana expression.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. Then, let me explain how to use “iyoiyo” through the two example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “more and more”
iyoiyo itami ga mashi te iru – いよいよ痛みが増している (いよいよいたみがましている)
The pain is increasing more and more.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- itami – 痛み (いたみ) : a noun meaning ‘pain’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “itami” to make the subject in the sentence.
- mashi – 増し (まし) : one conjugation of the verb, “masu”, which means ‘to increase’ or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “mashi” to make its te form, “mashi te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
- iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used to express the continuity of the action described by the preceding verb. In the example, this is used after the te-formed verb, “mashi te”, to express the continuity of its action, ‘to increase’.
This is a typical usage of “iyoiyo”. In this example, it works at the beginning of the sentence to say that the pain is nearing a certain degree (perhaps, its maximum level). It is an adverb, so can work in almost anywhere in a sentence. Besides the example sentence, therefore, “itami ga iyoiyo mashi te iru” is also very understandable and acceptable.
Example #2: another usage of “iyoiyo”
iyoiyo boku no ban ga ki ta – いよいよ僕の番が来た (いよいよぼくのばんがきた)
Finally, my turn has come.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its possessive case, “boku no”, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
- ban – 番 (ばん) : a noun meaning ‘turn’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ki – 来 (き) : one conjugation of the verb, “kuru”, which means ‘to come’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “ki” to make its past tense form, “ki ta”.
This is another typical usage of “iyoiyo”. In this example, it works again at the beginning of the sentence, but means ‘finally’. To understand its meaning correctly, we need to grasp the context.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “iyoiyo” and its usages through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- iyoiyo – いよいよ : an adverb meaning ‘more and more’, ‘increasingly’, ‘finally’, ‘eventually’, or such in Japanese. Japanese native speakers use this adverb mainly in two different ways: to say that someone or something is nearing the moment; to say that someone or something has reached the moment. This adverb has the kanji expression, “愈々”, but it is very rarely used. So, we can focus only on its hiragana expression.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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