やたら

や

た

ら

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

indiscriminately; recklessly; excessively

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial use, often as やたらに or やたらと. It can mean doing something without proper judgment or doing/being something to an excessive degree.

やたらに人ひとを信しん用ようしないほうがいい。
It is better not to trust people indiscriminately.

今日きょうはやたら暑あつい。

It is unusually hot today.

2

na-adjective

indiscriminate; random; excessive

usually written using kana alone

Na-adjective use, as in やたらな. It describes something careless, random, unfounded, or excessive.

やたらなことを言いうと、あとで困こまるよ。
If you say careless things, you will have trouble later.
やたらな約やく束そくはしないほうがいい。
You should not make promises recklessly.

Written forms

やたらUsage99%
It is usually written in kana; this is the normal practical spelling.
矢や鱈たらUsage1%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Rare ateji kanji spelling given; useful for recognition but not recommended for ordinary writing.

Kanji

矢dart, arrow
鱈codfish, (kokuji)

Similar words

むやみ
Very close in meaning: むやみに also means doing something rashly or without good reason. やたら is especially common as an everyday intensifier, as in やたら暑い.
でたらめ
Means random, irresponsible, or nonsensical, often with a stronger sense of falsehood or irresponsibility. やたら focuses more on indiscriminate or excessive action.

Etymology

The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji spelling 矢鱈 is ateji, meaning the characters are used for their sound rather than as a transparent meaning-based spelling.