JLPT N1 grammar

〜のやらmeaning and usage

Meaning

I wonder A B; I don't know A B

How to form it

  • verb (plain form)/い-adjectiveのやら
  • noun/な-adjective (stem)なのやら
  • verb (plain form)のやらverb (plain form)のやら

How it is used

Usually with a question word: 'I wonder ..., who knows ...', voicing the speaker's puzzlement, worry or exasperation, often to oneself or before 「分からない」. 「〜のやら〜のやら」: can't tell whether A or B.

Examples

  1. 私の娘はいつになったら一人で寝れるのやら。

    I wonder when my daughter will be able to go to sleep on her own.

  2. 弟は毎晩遅くまで、何をしているのやら。

    Goodness knows what my brother gets up to until late every night.

  3. 彼の話は、本当なのやら嘘なのやら分からない。

    With him, you can't tell whether a story is true or a lie.