なにやらSomething (or other), Some kind of

何(なに)やら is an adverb which expresses uncertainty about what exactly something is or why something is happening. Similar to どうやら, although it is often treated as a single word, 何(なに)やら is composed of the question word 何(なに) and the particle やら which denotes uncertainty and self-questioning.

何(なに)やら is often translated as 'something or other', 'some kind of', or 'for some reason' depending on the context.

Although 何(なに)か and 何(なに)やら can both be translated as 'something', they are not interchangeable. 何か can be used for general statements, but 何(なに)やら is only used when the speaker is unsure of what the thing in question is.

Fun Fact

Although it is less common than 何(なに)やら or どうやら, やら is also sometimes attached to other question words like どこ or いつ to indicate that the speaker is uncertain about something.