At a glance
~やら~やら lists a few examples out of many, like "what with A and B (and more)". It usually suggests the speaker has too many things to deal with, or has mixed feelings.
[A] やら [B] やら(で)~
今週は宿題やらアルバイトやらで忙しい。 What with homework and my part-time job, I'm busy this week.
How to form it
やら attaches directly to nouns and to the plain form of verbs and い-adjectives:
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + やら | 本やら服やら |
| Verb | Plain form + やら | 降るやら、足りないやら |
| い-adjective | Plain form + やら | うれしいやら恥ずかしいやら |
- やら is usually repeated after each item: AやらBやら.
- It is often followed by で and a phrase like 大変だ or 忙しい.
- It fits both speech and writing and sounds a little more formal than とか.