Translation guide
How to express that something is repetitive, monotonous, or done over and over in Japanese. Covers both neutral repetition and negative monotony.
The speaker wants to say that an action, task, or situation is boringly repetitive, tedious, or monotonous.
Means 'monotonous' or 'dull'. Often used for tasks, routines, or sounds that lack variation.
この仕事は単調で飽きる。
This job is repetitive and boring.
単調な毎日を送っている。
I'm living a monotonous daily life.
Literally 'with many repetitions'. A more neutral way to describe something as repetitive, but can carry a negative tone depending on context.
この作業は繰り返しの多い作業だ。
This task is a repetitive one.
From 'mannerism', meaning stuck in a rut, stale, or lacking freshness. Often used for relationships, creative work, or routines.
最近、仕事がマンネリ化している。
Lately, work has become repetitive and stale.
Means 'boring' or 'tedious'. Not a direct translation of 'repetitive', but often used when repetition leads to boredom.
退屈な会議だった。
It was a tedious meeting.
The speaker wants to describe an action that is done over and over, without necessarily a negative connotation.
Pattern meaning 'do something many times'. Neutral and widely used.
彼は何度も同じ話をする。
He tells the same story repeatedly.
何度も練習すれば上手になる。
If you practice repeatedly, you'll get better.
Verb meaning 'to repeat'. Can be used for both deliberate and unintentional repetition.
Pattern meaning 'doing nothing but ~', often implying excessive repetition. Can be negative.
彼はゲームをしてばかりいる。
He does nothing but play games (repetitively).
Referring to physical repetition that causes injury or is part of a technical description.
Medical term for repetitive strain injury (RSI).
反復性疲労損傷に注意してください。
Please be careful of repetitive strain injury.
Means 'repetitive motion', used in ergonomics or technical contexts.
この作業は繰り返し動作が多い。
This task involves a lot of repetitive motion.
The English word 'repetitive' is often translated as 繰り返しの多い, but in many contexts, a more natural expression like 単調 or マンネリ is better when the nuance is negative. Using 繰り返しの多い for a boring task can sound too neutral or literal.
同じ間違いを繰り返してはいけない。
You must not repeat the same mistake.