Naruto is one of the best-selling and most beloved manga and anime series, for newcomers and veterans alike. As is often the case with Japanese cultural imports to the West, sometimes meaning gets lost in translation, and Naruto’s catchphrase “dattebayo” is no exception. Let’s take a look at just what dattebayo means in Naruto.
Naruto’s Catchphrase Dattebayo Meaning
As any individual of great taste and refinement who prefers to watch their anime in its native Japanese will tell you, certain words and phrases will particularly stand out to English speakers.
Baka (stupid, foolish) is a classic example, and nani (what?) is another. These words stand out due to the frequency of their use in various anime, and the intonation with which they are oftentimes delivered, particularly in shonen style anime like Naruto.
Dattebayo (だってばよ) was originally translated to English as “Believe it!”, and became something of a catchphrase for Naruto during the early seasons of the anime, often being used as an exclamation by the titular character.
Later, dattebayo would be translated more simply as “ya know”, and would be used more casually in conversation.
It should be noted, however, that dattebayo has no direct English equivalent, and to this day remains somewhat divisive amongst translators.
The generally agreed-upon meaning, though, is that dattebayo is an informal statement that is used to indicate that the speaker is very clear about what they are saying.
Naruto would use the phrase dattebayo after a sentence to add emphasis and meaning. An example, translated to English, might be: “I’m not gonna run away and I never go back on my word, that is my ninja way! Believe it!”
What’s quite interesting is that this tic or quirk of Naruto’s appears to be hereditary. Both Naruto’s mother, Kushina, and son, Boruto, use a similar quirk (with some slight variation) when speaking.
In truth, these kinds of vocal tics are a common enough device in dubbed anime, and even in Naruto catchphrases are widely used by different characters. This helps non-Japanese-speaking viewers to better differentiate between speakers.
That’s it, everything you need to know about what does dattebayo mean in Naruto. For more on Naruto, check out the related articles below.
Feature image source: Narutopedia
About the author
