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Yomi
やまやま
Rōmaji
yamayama
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
mountains
Meaning
I’m very keen (but…); I wish I could
Additional Info
Usually, it’s used as …したいのは{山々ですが or 山々だけど} when you’re very keen to do something (i.e. you have a “mountain” of eagerness to do something) but you can’t (e.g. you already have a plan). It’s also used when you just want to decline an invitation in a polite way. It is common to write it in hiragana やまやま or katakana ヤマヤマ as well.
Example
行(い)きたいのは山々ですが、その日はもう予定(よてい)があって…
I wish I could go, but I have a plan for the day already…
