No Daddy!
Posted: February 5, 2009 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Family, Japanese, Language | 5 Comments »While my wife and daugther are enjoying their time in Japan,* I call them every morning, which is dinner-time for them. As I mentioned earlier, my little girl likes to talk to Daddy on the phone, but suddenly she’s changed her mind. Now, when my wife gives the phone to Baby, I can hear Baby say “Daddy iya da! Iya da Daddy!”
She’s saying “no Daddy” in Japanese. The word iya (嫌) is a loaded word in Japanese, that is used in many ways. Definitions include “dislike”, “hate”, “aversion” and so on. But the most common usage is more like the word “no”. So, when someone wants to refuse something, they’ll often say iya da or more formally iya desu. In other words, Baby doesn’t want to talk to Daddy. 
I actually get a good laugh. She’s two years old, so she’s being fickle, and wants to watch her favorite cartoons, not talk to Daddy. My wife reads other Japanese mom blogs, and she told me once another mom who had a girl around two-years-old told her daddy Daddy iya, iya. Acchi acchi! which means “No Daddy, no. [Go] over there! Over there!”
Kids are funny, no?
* – While I enjoy delightful weather in Ireland…
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
Konnichiwa!
I’m Naoko living in hyogo Japan!
I’ll learn about the Buddhist on your site. I don’t know much about it.
I have two kids, and they make me laugh every day.(They make me mad,too! hahaha)
sayonara
Naoko-san, konnichiwa! Nice to meet you!
Yes, I know Hyogo Prefecture. I have not visited there, but I know it is very close to Kyoto.
I am glad you are learning about Buddhism. It’s funny because I come from a non-Buddhist culture, and I am teaching others about Buddhism.
I know how you feel. My little girl makes me very happy, but also mad. :p
Cheers!
Don’t worry, my three year old, who is also in Japan now as well, would often rather go play with his toys rather then talk to papa on Skype.
I was teaching our wee boy Kalyan (20 months) the phrase “I Love You”. After a while, he stopped, just saying “No I. No I.”
Is he teaching me Dharma, or just letting me know he’s bored?
Ha ha ha, that reminds me of my little girl doing “gassho” to the Buddha on TV on time when she was about 13-14 months old. I’m sure she picked it up from Temple service, but she hasn’t done it since.