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'.
同じ間違いを繰り返さないでください。
Please don't repeat the same mistake.
この作業は単純な繰り返しです。
This task is simple repetition.
More formal or technical term for repetition, often used in contexts like practice, drills, or scientific processes.
反復練習が上達の鍵です。
Repetitive practice is the key to improvement.
Verb suffix meaning 'to do again' or 'to redo'. Attach to the masu-stem of a verb.
書類を書き直しました。
I rewrote the document.
もう一度考え直してみます。
I'll try rethinking it once more.
Phrase meaning 'once more' or 'again'. Used before a verb.
もう一度言ってください。
Please say it again.
Adverb meaning 'again', often used in written or formal contexts.
彼は再び同じ質問をした。
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.
彼は同じ言葉を何度も繰り返した。
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.
Also used for cyclical repetition, like seasons or history.
歴史は繰り返すと言われる。
It is said that history repeats itself.
Noun meaning 'periodicity' or 'cyclical nature'. Technical term.
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: この本、読んだ？ B: うん、読んだよ。
A: Did you read this book? B: Yeah, I read it.
Instead of repeating the same noun, use a different word or description.
東京は大きな都市です。この街には多くの人が住んでいます。
Tokyo is a big city. Many people live in this city.
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).
単語を繰り返し書いて覚える。
I memorize words by writing them repeatedly.
反復運動による疲労。
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.
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.