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いないいないばあ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

いないいないばあ

also: いないないばあ

Meanings

1

interjection

peek-a-boo!

A phrase used when playing peek-a-boo with a baby; said while hiding and then revealing one's face.

赤あかちゃんに「いないいないばあ」をすると、大おお喜よろこびした。
When I played peek-a-boo with the baby, she was delighted.

Written forms

いないいないばー
- いないいないばあ
  Variant with a long vowel at the end, reflecting a playful or drawn-out pronunciation.
- いないいないばー
いないないばあ
Less common variant with a single いない; may be a typo or regional variation.

Etymology

From the words いない (not here) and ばあ (an exclamation used when suddenly appearing). The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a traditional Japanese baby game phrase.