Ask John: What Does Naruto’s ‘Datebayo’ mean

Question:
There’s been a lot of debate about what “Datebayo” means. Basically, it’s a phrase Naruto puts into a lot of his conversations. People have translated it in different ways. There’s no general concensus on what it means. No fansubs have really elaborated on what it should mean plus Viz doesn’t seem to have tried leaving it intact in the manga. So basically, what exactly does “datebayo” mean anyway? And if there were to be an English translation of it in the dub, what do you think would be most accurate to that of the original phrase?

Answer:
I have only novice level familiarity with Japanese language, so I don’t expect this answer to be definitive. Based on second hand explanations that I’ve encountered and explanation from a native Japanese speaker, the word “datte” is a variant of the verb “desu,” which means “is” or “to be.” To provide an example, the Japanese statement, “John wa dokuhsin datte,” or “John wa dokuhsin desu” literally means “John single is,” or “John is single.” Many statements in formal Japanese end with the verb “desu.” In fact, ending a sentence with “desu” is so common in Japanese grammar that it’s normally left implied.

Variations of “datte” have different implications. Using “datte sa” instead of just “datte” sounds more casual, and a woman using “datte sa” may sound a bit unrefined or coarse. A character like Tenchi Muyo’s Ryoko or Urd from Ah! My Goddess would probably use “datte sa.” Just the opposite is “datte ba” which is a cute variation suitable for a sweet young girl’s speech. A sarcastic man might say, “John wa dokuhsin dato yo,” to mean “Ya know, John’s single.” However, Naruto’s “datte ba yo” seems to be a unique, distinguishing version of the phrase that only Naruto uses.

It’s not at all uncommon for anime and manga characters to have distinct accents or unusual ways of speaking. Such distinguishing characteristics make the characters unique and memorable. Kurumi of Steel Angel Kurumi adds a long “desu” to her sentences. Fushigi Yuugi’s Chichiri has his famous “na no da.” Himura Kenshin of Rurouni Kenshin uses “de gozaru yo.” Lum from Urusei Yatsura ends her sentences with “daccha.” Pumo in Fushigi Boshi no Futago Hime punctuates his sentences with “Pumo.” And most of the cast of Di-Gi-Charat uses distinctive suffixes. Naruto Uzumaki concluding his statements with “datte ba yo” literally means “is” or “it is,” but in practice just adds emphasis and a rustic, energetic tone to his speech.

In practical terms, Naruto’s “datte ba yo” simply doesn’t lend itself to literal English translation because it’s rooted in Japanese grammatical structure that’s totally different from English grammar. If I personally was charged with localizing Naruto’s speech into English, I would probably abbreviate his “datte ba yo” to just “Yo!” Doing so would approximate the emphatic function of “datte ba yo” and convey the unique accent of Naruto’s speech to English speakers. However, what sounds natural in Japanese may sound repetitive or annoying when recreated in English. That may be why Viz chose to entirely disregard Naruto’s “datte ba yo” in its translation of the manga.