Learn Japanese Pod with Ami and Alex
Podcast 22: What does Yappari mean?

In this lesson you will learn the following:✓​ What the phrase Yappari means✓​ Three different examples of how this phrase is used naturally inconversation in Japanese.

LEVEL: Upper Beginner

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Introduction
Yappari​ is a very commonly used word in Japanese but sometimes leaves students of thelanguage scratching their heads as to its exact meaning and uses. Well, dear Nihongo warrior,
wonder no more as this lesson will teach you the main three uses of Yappari as it is usednaturally in conversation by native speakers.

Main Vocabulary
Japanese

Pronunciation

English何これ？！

Nani kore?!

What’s this?!

最後SaigoThe last

クッキー

Kukkii

Cookie

食べた

TabetaAte

だってDatte

But...

お腹Onaka

Stomach

減ってた

Hetteta

Empty / Hungry

一番好き

Ichiban suki

Like the most

温泉

Onsen

Hot spring

ごめんねGomen neSorry

公園

Kōen

Park

明日

AshitaTomorrow

雨Ame

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1. Yappari - I knew it!
One common use of ​yappari​ expresses the fact that your assumptions or predictions wereproved to be correct. It also means you were not surprised by a particular outcome. It might betranslated into English as “I knew it”, “As I suspected…” or “...but of course…” Another way tothink 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 lastcookie?

B:

え...

E...

Um...

A:

ほら！何これ？クッキーでしょう？！

Hora! Nani kore? Kukkideshō?!

Look! What’s this? It’s acookie 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.
1. 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.

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2. 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.
3. 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 thinkthat 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 ichibansuki?

What do you most likeabout Japan?

B:

やっぱり温泉が好き。あみは？

Yappari onsen ga suki. Amiwa?

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 caseis means “I knew it” as we learned with dialog 1.

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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, youknow what? I changed my mind” or “Actually, let’s not”. Here’s an example in dialog form:​Dialog 3A:

明日なにする？

Ashita nani suru?

What are you doingtomorrow?

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 goingto rain tomorrow.

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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。
​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
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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