Entry
なんたらかんたら
nantarakantara
A casual filler phrase used when you can't remember details or want to skip over tedious information, equivalent to 'blah blah blah'.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
A conversational filler used in casual Japanese. It appears when a speaker cannot remember a specific name or detail ('what-do-you-call-it'), or when they deliberately gloss over a long, unimportant story or explanation ('blah blah blah', 'yada yada yada'). It is frequently used with a slightly dismissive tone when summarizing someone else's excuses or complaints.
- Glossing over speech (blah blah blah)
- Forgetting details (what-do-you-call-it)
Sense Map
Glossing over speech (blah blah blah)
Used to skip over long remarks, excuses, or complaints that are considered too trivial or tedious to repeat in detail.
彼女はなんたらかんたらと言い訳をした。
Forgetting a name or detail
Used as a substitute word when the speaker forgets a specific term, concept, or name.
なんたらかんたらというシステム
Usage Note
How to Use
なんたらかんたらと + verb (言う, 書いてある)
Used to quote speech, writing, or complaints in broad strokes without giving exact details.
なんたらかんたらという + noun
Used to modify a noun when you have forgotten its exact name or title.
How to Use
Common Phrases
なんたらかんたらと言う
to say blah blah blah
なんたらかんたらと文句を言う
to complain about this and that / to whine yada yada yada
なんたらかんたらと言い訳をする
to make some excuse or other / to make excuses like blah blah blah
なんたらかんたらと書いてある
to have blah blah blah written (in a text)
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Listening to a friend's excuse | negative | Sounds dismissive or lazy, implying you don't care about their reasons. |
| Forgetting a tech term | neutral | Shows the speaker genuinely forgot and feels the term is complicated. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
かくかくしかじか かくかくしかじか / similar | Used to skip over a part of a story that the listener already knows or that is too long to tell. | Does not mean 'I forgot', but rather 'I'm deliberately omitting the explanation' (so and so, such and such). | かくかくしかじかで、遅刻しました。 |
なんやかんや なんやかんや / similar | Used to express that various things happened or were done ('this and that', 'one thing or another'). | Focuses more on 'a variety of events/tasks' rather than summarizing or omitting speech. | なんやかんやで忙しい。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it in a business presentation to summarize points.
Use formal language like 'など' (nado) or 'といった内容' (to itta naiyou). なんたらかんたら is way too casual and sounds unprofessional.
Using it to point out a physical object you want someone to pass to you ('Pass me that nantara-kantara').
Use demonstratives like 'あれ' (are) or 'それ' (sore) for objects. なんたらかんたら is better suited for replacing names or long speech.
Examples
Examples
彼は私に、なんたらかんたらと文句を言ってきた。
かれ は わたし に、 なんたらかんたら と もんく を いってきた。
He came complaining to me about this and that.
FigurativeUsed to summarize a long complaint without repeating the details.
会議で、なんたらかんたらという新しいシステムについて説明された。
かいぎ で、 なんたらかんたら と いう あたらしい システム に ついて せつめい された。
At the meeting, they explained some new system called what-do-you-call-it.
LiteralShows that the speaker forgot the name of the system.
彼女は、時間がなかったとかなんたらかんたらと言い訳をした。
かのじょ は、 じかん が なかった とか なんたらかんたら と いいわけ を した。
She made some excuse like she didn't have time, yada yada yada.
FigurativeGives a dismissive impression towards the excuse provided.
説明書にはなんたらかんたらと書いてあるが、要するにボタンを押すだけだ。
せつめいしょ に は なんたらかんたら と かいて ある が、 ようするに ボタン を おす だけ だ。
The manual says blah blah blah, but basically you just press the button.
LiteralShows that the written explanation is too long to read in detail.
彼は酒を飲むと、いつも過去の自慢話をなんたらかんたらと言い始める。
かれ は さけ を のむ と、 いつも かこ の じまんばなし を なんたらかんたら と いいはじめる。
Whenever he drinks, he always starts bragging blah blah blah about his past.
FigurativeEmphasizes that the speaker is tired of hearing the repetitive story.
Similar Words
かくかくしかじか
kakukaku-shikajika
Used to deliberately skip a story because it's too long, not because one forgot.
なんやかんや
nanya-kanya
Means 'this and that', focusing on various events rather than just skipping speech.
Questions
Can I use なんたらかんたら when speaking to my boss?
No. This expression is very casual and can be considered rude because it sounds dismissive of details. Use more formal words if you forget something or want to summarize.
How is it different from 'あれ' (are) when I forget a name?
'あれ' is often used to refer to a thing or topic that both the speaker and listener vaguely know. 'なんたらかんたら' is more often used to substitute a part of a quote, a long name, or a complicated sentence.
Is it exactly the same as 'blah blah blah'?
Yes, its usage is very similar. Both are used to shorten long, boring speech or when the speaker forgets the exact phrasing.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 2258720
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
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- Active language
- English
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