Japanese · In the Stands
何やってんだ
nani yatten da
NAH-nee yaht-ten dah · /nani jatten da/
What are you doing?! / what was that?!
2/5 Bar-safe
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"what are you doing"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The exasperated bark at a fumbled play, a missed sitter, or anyone botching the obvious. "Nani yatten da yo!" at the screen. Off the pitch it's a boss or parent demanding to know what the hell you were thinking. The -da ending makes it a demand, not a real question.
Heard in the wild
ノーマークで外すとか、何やってんだ!
Missing wide open — what are you doing?!
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "何やってんだ" mean?
- In Japanese, "何やってんだ" means "What are you doing?! / what was that?!". Literally it's "what are you doing". The exasperated bark at a fumbled play, a missed sitter, or anyone botching the obvious. "Nani yatten da yo!" at the screen. Off the pitch it's a boss or parent demanding to know what the hell you were thinking. The -da ending makes it a demand, not a real question.
- Is "何やってんだ" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "何やってんだ"?
- Say it "NAH-nee yaht-ten dah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: nani jatten da.
Related in Japanese
うるさい urusai oo-roo-SIGH Shut up / you're too loud / quit nagging うざい uzai oo-ZYE Annoying / a pain in the ass 消えろ kiero kee-EH-ro Get lost / get out of my sight クソ食らえ kuso kurae KOO-so koo-RAH-eh Eat shit / to hell with it 何だよ nanda yo NAHN-dah yo What the hell / what's your problem 面倒くさい mendōkusai men-DOH-koo-sigh What a pain / can't be bothered / such a hassle
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