まちまち

• Reading: まちまち
• Romaji: machimachi
• Pronunciation: /ma.tɕi.ma.tɕi/

Meaning

Various; diverse; different; inconsistent. Describes things that differ from one another without uniformity.

A na-adjective/no-adjective used to describe situations where things vary or are not uniform. Can be written 区々 in kanji but almost always appears in hiragana. Often follows a topic with は: 意見はまちまちだ (opinions vary), 結果はまちまちだった (results were mixed). Carries a neutral tone, simply noting diversity or inconsistency without judgment.

Examples

1. 参加者の年齢はまちまちだった。 The ages of the participants were all over the place.
2. 社員の意見はまちまちで、なかなか結論が出ない。 Employee opinions are all over the map, making it hard to reach a conclusion.
3. 色やデザインがまちまちなので統一感がない。 The colors and designs are so varied that there's no sense of cohesion.

Usage Guide

Context: surveys, business, evaluation

Tone: objective

Origin & History

Written 区々 in kanji, from 区 (ku, section/ward) reduplicated to suggest 'each section is different.' The hiragana form まちまち is standard in modern usage.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal