〜やら〜やら
JLPT N2:things like / what with
Lists representative examples with a sense of disorder, uncertainty or mixed emotion: “things like A and B” or “what with A and B”.
How to form it
- Put やら after each noun or plain-form predicate: 本やら服やら, うれしいやら驚くやら.
- The list is incomplete and suggests more things of the same kind.
Examples
部屋には本やら服やらが散らかっている。
Books, clothes, and all sorts of things are scattered around the room.
合格してうれしいやら驚くやらで、言葉が出なかった。
Between happiness and surprise at passing, I was speechless.
Common mistakes
- Presenting it as a complete, neutral list.
Similar meaning
- やand (among others)
や gives a neutral incomplete list of nouns; やら〜やら adds disorder or emotional involvement.