This and that (complaining): 〜だの〜だの
普通形・名詞 + だの〜だの
A だの B だの(と): “this and that…”, an irritated list of complaints, demands or chores. Spoken and casual; in writing, 〜や〜など.
In short
〜だの〜だの lists examples with irritation: 高いだの遠いだのと文句ばかり言う (“it's too expensive, it's too far… all he does is moan”). It's used to report someone's complaints or demands, or a pile-up of tiresome chores. Spoken, casual register.
- 彼は、高いだの遠いだのと文句ばかり言っている。かれは、たかいだのとおいだのともんくばかりいっている。“It's too expensive”, “it's too far”… all he does is complain.
- 娘は、服がほしいだの靴がほしいだの、うるさくてかなわない。むすめは、ふくがほしいだのくつがほしいだの、うるさくてかなわない。My daughter wants clothes, she wants shoes… she's driving me mad.
- 引っ越しのときは、役所の手続きだの荷造りだので大変だった。ひっこしのときは、やくしょのてつづきだのにづくりだのでたいへんだった。When we moved, what with the paperwork at the town hall and the packing, it was a nightmare.
The basics
だの is a listing particle like とか or や, but loaded with irritation. You cite a few examples (often reported words) to show there are far too many — like English “… and this and that”, “… and so on and so forth”. The rest of the sentence expresses the exasperation: 文句ばかり, うるさい, 大変だった.
When reporting speech, you add と after the second だの: 〜だの〜だのと言う.
“It's too expensive”, “it's too far”… all he does is complain.
- adjective
- particle
- verb
- 母は、早く結婚しろだの孫の顔が見たいだのとうるさい。はははは、はやくけっこんしろだのまごのかおがみたいだのとうるさい。My mother never stops: “get married”, “I want to see my grandchildren”…
- 部長は、資料が多すぎるだの字が小さいだのと、細かいことばかり言う。ぶちょうは、しりょうがおおすぎるだのじがちいさいだのと、こまかいことばかりいう。Too many documents, the font's too small… the manager does nothing but nitpick.
How to form it
After the plain form of a verb or an い-adjective, after a noun or a な-adjective (without だ), or even after a quoted imperative. Then だの, twice (or more).
| Base | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| い-adj. | 高いだの遠いだの | too expensive, too far… |
| verb | 行きたいだの帰りたいだの | he wants to go, he wants to come back… |
| noun / な-adj. | 手続きだの荷造りだの | the paperwork, the packing… |
| quoted imperative | 早くしろだの静かにしろだの | “hurry up”, “be quiet”… |
- 年末は、大掃除だの年賀状だので忙しい。ねんまつは、おおそうじだのねんがじょうだのでいそがしい。At the end of the year, what with the big clean and the New Year cards, we're swamped.
だの, とか, やら, たり
〜とか〜とか is the neutral listing of speech. 〜やら〜やら (N2) stresses confusion and disorder (うれしいやら恥ずかしいやら). 〜たり〜たり lists actions without judgement. 〜だの〜だの adds reproach or weariness.
In formal writing, だの is avoided and you write 〜や〜など.
- 合格の知らせに、うれしいやら驚いたやらで言葉が出なかった。ごうかくのしらせに、うれしいやらおどろいたやらでことばがでなかった。When I heard I'd passed, what with the joy and the surprise, I was lost for words.
- 週末は、本を読んだりテレビを見たりした。しゅうまつは、ほんをよんだりてれびをみたりした。At the weekend I read, watched TV, that sort of thing.
Common mistakes
- Using it for a neutral or positive list: “×富士山だの金閣寺だのを見て感動した” sounds odd; say 富士山や金閣寺.
- Putting だ after a noun before だの: “×手続きだだの” is wrong.
- Using it in a formal text: it's a casual expression.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Akita Line (Literature and poetry) of the Shinkansen.