だの
Meanings
- things like
- and so on
- and this and that
- and whatnot
About this pattern
Explanation
だの is used when you are listing several things, often with a sense of complaint, triviality, or dissatisfaction. It rounds up items in a non-committal or negative tone, suggesting that the speaker finds the listed items to be typical or annoying examples, rather than giving an exhaustive, neutral list. It is common in casual speech and diary-like narration, and it can imply that the speaker is tired of dealing with these things or finds them unimportant. When using だの in pairs (だの…だの), the nuance is especially dismissive or complaining, similar to saying “things like X and Y, and so on.” Avoid using it for neutral, objective listing in formal writing. Typical contexts include everyday grievances, complaints about a situation, or casual anecdotes.