Believe it! Or... sort of. Discover the true meaning and cultural nuance behind Naruto Uzumaki's famous catchphrase.

If you watched the English dub of Naruto, you know "Believe it!" If you watched the sub, you know "Dattebayo!" But what does it actually mean?

There is No Direct Translation

"Dattebayo" (だってばよ) is not a standard Japanese word. It is a verbal tic created for Naruto to make him sound childish, rough, and emphatic.

Breakdown

• Da (だ): Informal version of "desu" (is).
• Tteba (ってば): A particle used to suggest the listener isn't getting the point. Like saying "I told you..." or "Heck!"
• Yo (よ): A sentence ending particle for emphasis.

Put it together, and it roughly means: "I tell you!" or "It's like I said!"

Why "Believe It"?

The English dubbers needed a phrase that matched the lip flaps of "Da-tte-ba-yo" (4 syllables). "Be-lieve-it" fit the timing perfectly. Later in the dub (Shippuden), they largely dropped "Believe it" and just had him speak with conviction (or use "Ya know").

Character Tics in Anime

Giving characters weird sentence endings is a common anime trope (Kyara-bi) to annoyingly/charmingly distinguish them.

• Naruto: Dattebayo
• Kushina (Mom): Dattebane
• Boruto (Son): Dattebasa

It runs in the family!