やや

adverb

slightly, somewhat

1. slightly, somewhat, a little

Indicates a small degree or extent, suggesting that something is marginally more or less than expected.

今日(きょう)はやや寒(さむ)い。

It's somewhat cold today.

値段(ねだん)がやや高(たか)めだ。

The price is slightly on the high side.

彼(かれ)の説明(せつめい)はやや分(わ)かりにくかった。

His explanation was somewhat difficult to understand.

やや is a formal adverb meaning "slightly" or "somewhat." It is more commonly used in written language, news reports, and formal speech than in casual conversation.

COMMON PATTERNS:

やや高(たか)い: slightly high/expensive
やや多(おお)い: somewhat many
やや遅(おく)れて: slightly late
やや難(むずか)しい: somewhat difficult

CONTRAST WITH SIMILAR WORDS:

やや: slightly (formal, written)
ちょっと: a little (casual, spoken)
少(すこ)し: a little (neutral, versatile)
いくぶん: somewhat (formal, literary)
若干(じゃっかん): slightly (formal, often in data/statistics)

USAGE:
Typically modifies adjectives or verbs. Very common in news: 景気(けいき)はやや回復(かいふく)した (the economy recovered slightly).

Related Words

Contrast: ちょっと

Contrast: 少(すこ)し

Contrast: いくぶん

Contrast: 若干(じゃっかん)

general

Added 2026.1.13 1:02 · Revised 2026.5.27 5:08

03500/03642_yaya