Have you been scratching your head trying to work out what “Yappari” means? Well, scratch your head no more! In this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) attempt to explain what Yappari means. We teach you the three main meanings of Yappari and how to use it naturally and fluently in conversation with your Japanese friends. For more information keep reading, listen to the podcast and download the show notes.
Main Podcast
Japanese Dialogues
What does Yappari mean?
1. Yappari – I knew it!
One common use of yappari expresses the fact that your assumptions or predictions were proved to be correct. It also means you were not surprised by a particular outcome. It might be translated into English as “I knew it”, “As I suspected…” or “…but of course…” Another way to think of it is as a phrase that emphasises IS or WAS, as in “It WAS you” or “He IS the culprit!”
Here’s an example of how it can be used in conversation.
Dialog 1
| A: | ねえ、最後のクッキー食べた？ | Ne, saigo no kukkii tabeta? | Hey, did you eat the last cookie? |
| B: | え… | E… | Um… |
| A: | ほら！何これ？クッキーでしょう？！ | Hora! Nani kore? Kukki deshō?! | Look! What’s this? It’s a cookie isn’t it?! |
| B: | だって、お腹減ってたから。 | Datte, onaka heteta kara. | But, I was hungry. |
| A: | やっぱり。 | Yappari. | I knew it! |
| B: | ごめんね。 | Gomen ne. | Sorry. |
Here are some other examples that express the yappari in the same way.
- 彼が犯人だとずっと思ってて、やっぱりそうだった。
Kare wa hannin da to zutto omottete, yappari sō datta.
I thought he was the criminal, and I knew it, he was.
- もう一度やってみたけどやっぱり無理だった
Mō ichido yatte mita kedo, yappari muri datta.
I tried one more time, but as I suspected, it was impossible.
- やっぱり彼女来なかった。
Yappari kanojo konakatta.
I knew it, she didn’t come.
2. Yappari – Indeed it is!
Another use of yappari emphasises the strength of your opinion. For example, I really do think that something is true. やっぱり温泉が好き Yappari onsen ga suki means I really do indeed love hot springs. English translations might include “indeed” or “of course”.
Dialog 2
| A: | 日本で何が一番好き？ | Nihon de nani ga ichiban suki? | What do you most like about Japan? |
| B: | やっぱり温泉が好き。あみは？ | Yappari onsen ga suki. Ami wa? | I really do love hot springs. How about you Ami? |
| A: | たこ焼きかな。 | Takoyaki kana? | Takoyaki I guess. |
| B: | やっぱりね。 | Yappari ne. | I knew it. |
Note: In this conversation we have two different examples of how yappari is used. Yappari onsen ga suki is the 2nd use of yappari which emphasises the point that the speaker does indeed like hot springs. After Ami says she likes Takoyaki, the reply is yappari which in this case is means “I knew it” as we learned with dialog 1.
Here are some more examples of how yappari is used to mean “indeed” or “of course”:
2.1 やっぱり毎日日本語を勉強しなきゃ。
Yappari mainichi nihongo o benkyō shinakya.
Of course, you have to study Japanese everyday.
2.2 やっぱり彼女が好き。
Yappari, kanojo ga suki.
I DO like her / I do indeed like her / Of course, I like her.
2.3 和食と言えばやっぱり刺身。
Washoku to ieba yappari sashimi.
If you are talking about Japanese food, of course it’s gotta be Sashimi.
3. Yappari – Ah, you know what? I changed my mind.
The final use of yappari is used when you change your mind. It means something like “Ah, you know what? I changed my mind” or “Actually, let’s not”. Here’s an example in dialog form:
Dialog 3
| A: | 明日なにする？ | Ashita nani suru? | What are you doing tomorrow? |
| B: | 公園に行くよ。やっぱりやめる。明日雨だ。 | Kōen ni iku yo. Yappari, yameru. Ashita ame da. | I’m going to the park. Actually, I won’t. It’s going to rain tomorrow. |
Here are a couple of other examples:
3.1. やめようかな。やっぱりもうちょっと頑張る。
Yameyō kana. Yappari, mō chotto gambaru.
I give up. You know what? I’ll try a little more.
3.2. ケーキ食べたい。やっぱりやめる、ダイエットしなきゃ。
Keeki tabetai. Yappari yameru, dietto shinakya.
I want to eat a cake. Nope, I need to diet.
Random Phrase of the Week
In every podcast we tech a random phrase to amuse and delight your Japanese friends. Here is this week’s random phrase:
ウケる – Ukeru – That’s so funny.
Ex.1 あのテレビ番組超ウケる
Ano terebi bangumi chō ukeru.
That TV program is so funny.
Ex. 2 あの漫才ウケる
Ano manzai ukeru
That comedy duo is so funny.
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