What does “Ara Ara” mean? (anime, tik tok)
The Japanese phrase “Ara Ara” has spread through anime and video games, and has even become a trend on social video platforms like Tik Tok. But what does “Ara Ara” actually mean?
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What does “Ara Ara” mean? The short answer
“Ara Ara” comes from Japanese, but is not a word, but an exclamation (interjection) that is normally only used by female characters. In German it corresponds to an “Oh-ho”, “Oh, Oh!” or “Oh God”.
It is meant to show that the person is surprised, excited, or amused. The meaning is derived from the context and the pronunciation of the exclamation. Often, however, the exclamation also has sexual connotations, which is why you should be careful when using it.
Hinoa greets the player at the beginning of his journey with an “Ara Ara” in Monster Hunter: Rise (Capcom):
Linguistic background of “Ara”
Some languages have gendered words and forms, and so there are gender differences in spoken Japanese. Even if “ara” (あら) is more of an exclamation, it would be counted among the “women’s words” (onna kotoba, 女言葉) or “women’s language” (joseigo, 女性語).
For this reason, you only hear female characters use this form of “Oh!”, while similar exclamations like “Yare” (やれ) or “Ā” (ああ) are used regardless of gender.
The doubled form “Ara Ara” (あらあら) hardly ever occurs in everyday life and belongs more to the typical anime jargon. The doubling serves to reinforce the expression, and in German “Oh!” also quickly becomes “Oh, Oh!” if something is worse or more interesting.
Usage in anime and on TikTok
In anime and video games, “Ara” and “Ara Ara” are often still used in the typical sense as an expression of amazement, surprise or as a sarcastic undertone. For example, one often hears common phrases like “Ara, moushiwake gozaimasen” which translates to “Oh, I’m sorry.”
But this is not the “Ara Ara” that has become famous in pop and web culture, memes and TikTok. The expression is particularly popular in erotic works. In many cases, the softly breathed “Ara Ara” is aimed at young men and comes from experienced women who use it to show their excitement and sexual interest.
This moaned or sexy “Ara Ara” has become a trend among influencers, content creators and anime fans, spreading across various social networks such as TikTok and Instagram.
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