Translation guide
The concept of doing or saying something again. In Japanese, this is expressed through specific nouns, verbs, adverbs, and sentence patterns, depending on whether you mean repeating an action, a word, or a cycle.
To do something again, or for something to happen again.
Noun meaning 'repetition' or 'doing repeatedly'. Often used with する to mean 'repeat'.
Please don't repeat the same mistake.
This task is simple repetition.
More formal or technical term for repetition, often used in contexts like practice, drills, or scientific processes.
Repetitive practice is the key to improvement.
Verb suffix meaning 'to do again' or 'to redo'. Attach to the masu-stem of a verb.
I rewrote the document.
I'll try rethinking it once more.
Phrase meaning 'once more' or 'again'. Used before a verb.
Please say it again.
Adverb meaning 'again', often used in written or formal contexts.
He asked the same question again.
To say the same thing again, or to repeat a sound.
Verb meaning 'to repeat' (transitive). Can be used for words, actions, etc.
He repeated the same words over and over.
Loanword from English, often used in casual or technical contexts like music or language learning.
To repeat aloud what someone else said, often for confirmation or memorization.
Something that happens repeatedly in a cycle or pattern.
How to avoid repeating the same word or phrase unnaturally.
In Japanese, once the topic is clear, you often drop the subject or use pronouns like それ (that) to avoid repetition.
A: Did you read this book? B: Yeah, I read it.
Instead of repeating the same noun, use a different word or description.
繰り返し is the general, everyday word for repetition. 反復 is more formal and often used in technical, educational, or scientific contexts (e.g., 反復練習 repetitive practice).
I memorize words by writing them repeatedly.
Fatigue from repetitive motion.
While もう一度 is natural for 'once more', using it too often can sound redundant. In many cases, 〜直す or simply context makes the repetition clear.
Repetition is the mother of learning.
Proverb-like expression
このフレーズをリピートしてください。
Please repeat this phrase.
内容を復唱してください。
Please repeat back the content.
この現象には周期性が見られる。
This phenomenon shows periodicity.
Tokyo is a big city. Many people live in this city.