がやがや

also: かやかや

が

や

が

や

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

noisily; in a hubbub; chatteringly

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes a crowd or group of people talking loudly and creating a noisy, bustling atmosphere. Often used with と and する.

教きょう室しつの中なかががやがやと騒さわがしかった。
The classroom was noisy with chatter.

会かい

場じょう

は

人ひと

で

がやがや

し

て

い

た

。

The venue was buzzing with people.

2

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle

loudly (laughing)

onomatopoeic or mimetic wordarchaic

Only with reading かやかや / カヤカヤ

Archaic mimetic word for loud laughter, restricted to the obsolete readings かやかや and カヤカヤ. Not used in modern Japanese.

古ふるい文ぶん献けんでは「かやかやと笑わらう」という表ひょう現げんが見みられる。
In old texts, the expression 'かやかやと笑う' (laugh loudly) can be found.

Written forms

がやがやUsage48%
Standard hiragana spelling for the common mimetic word meaning noisy chatter.
ガヤガヤUsage52%
Katakana variant often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
かやかや
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana form for the archaic laughing sense.
カヤカヤ
out-dated reading
Obsolete katakana form for the archaic laughing sense.

Similar words

ざわざわ
ざわざわ also describes a noisy crowd but often implies a lower, more continuous murmuring or rustling sound, while がやがや suggests louder, more distinct chatter.
わいわい
わいわい is similar but often used for lively, cheerful noise, such as children playing or friends talking excitedly, whereas がやがや can be more neutral or slightly negative.

Etymology

Onomatopoeic word mimicking the sound of many people talking at once. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a typical reduplicative mimetic form in Japanese.