いちいち
Meanings
one by one; separately; individually
Describes doing something for each item or person separately, often with a nuance of thoroughness or, in negative contexts, annoyance at having to deal with every single thing.
He checked the documents one by one.
Please don't complain about every little thing.
every single; each and every; without omission
Emphasizes that no item is left out; often used in negative sentences or when expressing that something is done exhaustively, sometimes with a critical tone.
He butts in on every single thing.
There's no need to explain each and every detail.
Usage patterns
- いちいち文句を言うto complain about every little thing
He complains about every little thing, so it's hard to work with him.
- いちいち確認するto check each and every item
I checked the number of parts one by one before putting them in the box.
- いちいちうるさいto be nit-picking about every single thing
My mother nags about every single thing, even how I clean.
- いちいち説明するto explain each point one by one
I have to explain everything one by one to the new employee.