Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah facts for kids
The phrase "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nay" is how we write down a common chant that children use. It's one way to sing a short, six-note tune. This tune is very popular among kids in many countries, especially those with European roots. It's often used when children are teasing each other.
How Kids Sing It Around the World
The chant "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah" is heard a lot in the eastern United States and modern United Kingdom. But kids have many other ways to sing this tune. They also have different words for it, like "Nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh." Here are some other versions:
- "Neener neener neener" in the United States
- "Nanny nanny boo boo" in the Southern United States
- "Na-na na-na boo-boo" in the United States
- "Du kan ikke fange mig" in Denmark, which means "You can't catch me"
- "Na na na na nère" (or "nanananère") in France
- "Naa na na naa na" in the Netherlands
- "Na-na-na banana" in Israel
- "Läl-läl-läl-läl lie-ru" in Finland
- "Skvallerbytta bing bång" in Sweden, meaning "Tattletale ding dong"
- "Du kan inte ta mig" in Sweden, meaning "You can't catch me"
- "Ædda bædda buse" in Norway
- "Lero lero" in Mexico
You can also hear this tune in Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Scotland, Poland, and Iceland.
Children in Korea use a different tune for teasing. It sounds like la-so-la-so mi-re-mi-re with the words 얼레리 꼴레리 (eol-re-ri kkol-re-ri). A Japanese version is so-so-mi-mi so-mi-mi. In Mexico, a tune like so-la-so-mi, so-la-so-mi is used.
Sometimes, after the first chant, kids add more lines using the same tune. For example, in America, they might sing "Nanny nanny nanny goat, cannot catch a billy goat." French children might add "Pouette pouette camembert" after "Na na na na nère." In Croatia, children sing "Ulovi me, ulovi me, kupit ću ti novine. Novine su skupe, poljubi me u dupe." This means: "Catch me, catch me, I'll buy you a newspaper. Newspapers are pricey, kiss my tushie."
The word "nyah" itself now means showing you feel better than someone. But this meaning came from the "nyah-nyah..." chant. So, the "nyah-nyah..." chant is a way of communicating just with sounds, not with actual words. However, sometimes kids do add words like "Johnny is a sis-sy" or "I can see your underwear!" The writer Shirley Jackson called it the "da da, da-da da" or "I know a secret" chant in her book Life Among the Savages.
Other Ways This Tune Is Used
This tune isn't only for teasing. It's also used in other children's activities.
- One version of the song "Ring a Ring o' Roses" uses the "Nyah nyah..." tune.
- A common tune for "Bye, baby Bunting" uses a similar musical pattern.
- The chant "Olly olly in free" also uses a similar tune.
The famous composer Benjamin Britten used this tune in an opera he wrote in 1946. It was for a scene where Roman and Etruscan generals made fun of each other.
This chant also appears in the video game Wario World. It's the music you hear on the pause screen, sung by the main character, Wario.
See also
In Spanish: Ña ña ña ña ña ña para niños
