わざわざ
Expressly, Especially, Go out of one's way, Take the trouble to
Structure
Explanation
わざわざ is an adverb used to indicate that someone took special trouble or went to great effort to do something. It can be translated as 'to go to the trouble of', 'purposely', or 'specially'.
Typically, わざわざ is placed at the start of a clause to emphasize that the action which follows was performed deliberately and required extra effort.
- わざわざ雨の中、傘を届けに来てくれたの？本当にありがとう！You came all this way in the rain just to bring me an umbrella? Thank you so much!
- わざわざ会議のために出社しなきゃいけない意味がわからない。リモートで十分なのに。I don't see the point in making a special trip to the office for a meeting. We could just do it remotely.
While わざわざ often appears in positive contexts to express gratitude, it can also carry a negative nuance to express complaint or criticism.
- わざわざこれだけ届けてくれてありがとうございます。Thank you so much for going to the trouble of delivering just this one thing. (Positive)
- 何でわざわざそんな遠い店に行くの？Why bother going to a store that's so far away? (Negative)
Fun Fact
Although almost never seen, わざわざ can be written with the kanji 態態. The character 態 relates to 'intent' or a 'deliberate act'. This origin underscores that an action was not accidental but performed for a specific reason. Whether the nuance is positive, negative, or simply expresses intent depends entirely on the context and the result of the action.
Positive Context - Taking special pains to do (A), which results in a welcome outcome.
Negative Context - Taking unnecessary pains to do (A), which results in an unwelcome outcome.
Undecided Context - To make a special effort to do (A), with the outcome still pending.
Caution
The word わざと stems from the same kanji root but has a more limited meaning. わざと simply means 'on purpose' or 'deliberately' and often implies ill intent, whereas わざわざ carries the additional nuance of taking extra, sometimes unnecessary, steps to do something.
- わざと間違えた答えを教えたでしょ？ひどいよ。You told me the wrong answer on purpose, didn't you? That's awful.
- 何でわざわざ文句を言いに来るの？Why do you come all this way just to complain?
Examples
わざわざ手作りのお菓子を持ってきてくれたんですか。
Did you really go to the trouble of bringing handmade sweets for me?
わざわざ高いものを買わなくても、安いので十分だよ。
You don't have to go out of your way to buy the expensive one; a cheap one is good enough.
疲れているのに、わざわざ夕食を作るんですか。
Even though you're tired, are you really going to go to the trouble of making dinner?
病気の時に、わざわざお見舞いに来てくれてありがとう。
Thank you for going out of your way to visit me while I was sick.
そんな小さな間違いを、わざわざ指摘しなくてもいいでしょう。
You don't have to go out of your way to point out such a tiny mistake, you know.
なぜわざわざ混んでいる電車に乗るの？バスは空いているよ。
Why would you deliberately take the crowded train? The bus is empty.
わざわざ忘れ物を届けてくれたんですね。本当に助かります。
You came all this way to deliver the item I forgot. That's a huge help.
わざわざ辞書で調べるんですか？アプリの方が速いですよ。
Are you really going to go to the trouble of looking it up in a dictionary? The app is much faster.
どうしてわざわざ嘘をつく必要があったの？
Why did you feel the need to go out of your way to tell a lie?
会議は中止になったのに、わざわざ来ていただいて申し訳ありません。
I'm so sorry you came all this way, especially since the meeting was cancelled.
そんなこと、わざわざ説明しなくても分かりますよ。
You don't have to go to the trouble of explaining that; I already get it.
私のために、わざわざこれを選んでくれたんですか？嬉しいです。
Did you really go out of your way to pick this out just for me? I'm so happy.