Grasp 100+ On a regular basis Japanese Adverbs (With Examples)


Japanese adverbs are the important thing to totally expressing your self. Adjectives describe nouns, however adverbs are rather more various, including context and taste to verbs, adjectives, and even different adverbs. Whenever you study Japanese, hold an eye fixed out: You’re positive to see adverbs in sudden locations.

With such all kinds comes quite a few classes. Learn on to study over 100 adverbs for each state of affairs, making ready you to confidently talk in Japanese.

What are Japanese adverbs?

Adverbs in Japanese, often called fukushi (副詞), will be cut up into two main varieties: those who modify different components of speech and people used for particular expressions.

Modifying different Japanese components of speech is easy. It’s similar to how we use adverbs in English. Take a look at how the italicized adverbs work in these phrases:

  • Noun: solely kids
  • Verb: stroll rapidly
  • Adjective: stunningly stunning

Adverbs for particular expressions are extra distinctive. In Japanese, this consists of expressions which can be unfavourable (“by no means”) and those who cope with likelihood and conjecture (“possibly”).

Find out how to use Japanese adverbs

Like many different components of Japanese grammar, the location of Japanese adverbs in a sentence is pretty free. Nonetheless, verbs go on the finish of a whole sentence in Japanese, that means the adverb will all the time go earlier than the verb. So long as the adverb precedes the phrase it’s modifying, the that means will come throughout with solely slight adjustments in nuance, if any.

  • Yoku tomodachi to eiga o mi ni ikimasu.(よく友だちと映画を見に行きます。)= I am going with a buddy to the films typically.
  • Tomodachi to yoku eiga o mi ni ikimasu.(友だちとよく映画を見に行きます。)= I typically go along with a buddy to the films.

Nonetheless, if a sentence turns into extra complicated—equivalent to with a number of clauses and adverbs—the adverb must be positioned as near the phrase it’s modifying as attainable to keep up readability.

  • Haru ga mō sugu owatte masu masu atsuku narimasu.(春がもうすぐ終わってますます暑くなります。)= Spring can be ending quickly and it’ll get hotter and warmer (actually: increasingly more sizzling).

Kinds of Japanese adverbs

With so many adverbs, the place do you begin? Beneath are a number of lists of probably the most helpful Japanese adverbs that can assist you in your method.

Adverbs about time

Utilizing adverbs about time provides context and historical past to what you say. You don’t all the time know the precise hour or variety of minutes—or the knowledge isn’t related—so these phrases allow you to deal with the extra necessary components of the sentence.

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
いつもitsumoall the time
時々tokidokigenerally
度々tabitabisteadily
よくyokutypically
たまにtama nisometimes
しばらくshibarakufor some time
ずっとzuttoall the time; all the time
すぐにsugu niinstantly
早速sassokuinstantly
やっとyattolastly
先ほどsakihodoa short while in the past
たった今tatta imasimply now
すでにsude nialready
初めてhajimetefor the primary time
またmataonce more

Generally you’ll wish to specific that the time concerned has had or will have an effect on an motion, equivalent to:

  • Zutto issho ni itai!(ずっと一緒にいたい!)= I all the time wish to be collectively!
  • Shukudai ga yatto dekimashita.(宿題がやっとできました。)= I lastly completed my homework.

Adverbs about diploma

A day on the seashore in the midst of summer season isn’t simply sizzling: It’s very sizzling, particularly when there isn’t a cloud within the sky! Adverbs about diploma lend a way of gravity and urgency to a sentence for each good and unhealthy conditions.

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
とてもtotemovery
大変taihenextraordinarily
特にtoku niparticularly
大分daibupretty
なかなかnaka nakafairly
いっそうissōmuch more
ますますmasu masuincreasingly more
もっとmottoextra
最もmotto momost
一番ichibanmost (informal)

Expressing diploma with adverbs provides emotion to those instance sentences:

  • Hon wa masu masu omoshiroku natta.(本はますます面白くなった。)= The ebook turned increasingly more fascinating.
  • Ichiban suki na tabemono wa piza desu!(一番好きな食べ物はピザです!)= My favourite meals is pizza! (Actually: The meals I like probably the most is pizza!)

Adverbs about method

Adverbs to explain the way you do one thing or how one thing occurs are necessary when creating complicated and fascinating sentences. If you happen to’re simply beginning out with Japanese, it’s possible you’ll end up asking somebody to repeat themselves slowly (yukkuri) and clearly (hakkiri) that can assist you perceive. You too can observe these questions reside with a local speaker with Rosetta Stone Tutoring!

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
ゆっくりyukkurislowly
さっさとsassatorapidly
はっきりhakkiriclearly
きっぱりkippariflatly
きちんとkichintoneatly
しっかりshikkaristeadily
なるべくnarubekuas…as attainable
とにかくtonikakuat any fee
せっかくsekkakukindly; at nice pains
ぼんやりbonyarivacantly
幸いsaiwailuckily
あいにくainikusadly
ぴったりpittaricompletely
ちょうどchōdoprecisely
じょじょにjojo niregularly (high quality of change)
だんだんdandanregularly (path of change)
きっとkittoabsolutely
もちろんmochironafter all
やはり・やっぱりyahari/yapparias anticipated
相変わらずaikawarazuas typical

These are a number of extra examples exhibiting use these phrases successfully:

  • Sekkaku tetsudatte kureta no ni…(せっかく手伝ってくれたのに…)= Even after you so kindly helped me out…
  • Narubeku hayaku okutte okimasu.(なるべく早く送っておきます。)= I’ll ship it as quickly as attainable.

Adverbs about amount

We specify and estimate portions day-after-day, and adverbs about amount are particularly helpful in Japanese. One notable side of Japanese grammar is the conspicuous lack of plurals. Context, Japanese counters, and adverbs are important for conveying measurement and quantity.

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
みんな・みなminna/minaall; everybody
すべてsubeteall
たくさんtakusanso much; a lot
十分にjūbun nilots; completely
いっぱいippaifull
みっちりmicchiricompletely
ほとんどhotondovirtually
少しsukoshia bit bit
ちょっとchottoa bit bit (informal)
少なくともsukunakutomoat the very least
ついtsuisimply
たったtattasolely
ただtadamerely; solely
せいぜいseizeiat most
yakuroughly

Whereas minna (colloquial) and mina (well mannered) can be utilized for gadgets, you’ll typically hear it in reference to individuals.

  • Minna ganbatteta ne.(みんな頑張ってたね。)= Everybody labored laborious, didn’t they?

The phrase for “roughly” is usually used with numbers.

  • Otto no shinchō wa yaku 180 senchi desu.(夫の身長は180センチです。)= My husband is roughly 180 centimeters tall.

Adverbs about conjecture and likelihood

Conjecture and likelihood are a flowery method to say these adverbs are for making assertions and guesses. Whenever you wish to say “possibly,” one or a number of of the beneath phrases are acceptable for the state of affairs.

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
多分tabunin all probability (assured)
恐らくosorakuin all probability (not assured)
是非zehiby all means; positively
確かtashikamaybe (primarily based on reminiscence)
まるでmarudesimilar to

These adverbs go properly with private ideas and requests:

  • Zehi nihon ni kite kudasai!(是非日本に来てください!)= By all means, please come to Japan!

Onomatopoeic adverbs

Japanese onomatopoeia is considerably extra various and customary than English. In each languages, the phrases evoke robust pictures related to their sounds. Nonetheless, when it comes to how they slot in a sentence, English onomatopoeia is both its personal verb or is a sound impact. Japanese onomatopoeia could seem like verbs or adjectives in English, however they operate as adverbs with an related verb. 

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
にこにこnikonikofortunately
にやにやniyaniyagrin; smirk
くすくすkusukusugiggle; chuckle
しくしくshikushikuweep
ぷんぷんpunpunfume; in a huff
ぺらぺらperaperafluently; communicate rapidly
ひそひそhisohisowhisper
よろよろyoroyorostagger
すやすやsuyasuyasleep peacefully
ぐうぐうgūgūsleep soundly; snore
ふらふらfurafuradizzy; unsteady
がんがんganganhead pounding
わくわくwakuwakuexcited
どきどきdokidokinervous; excited
きらきらkirakirasparkle

Many of those phrases are used along side verbs which have related meanings. On this instance sentence, kirakira (sparkle) is performing as an adverb with the verb kagayaku (輝く), which additionally means “to glitter.” Whereas the verb can stand by itself, the addition of the adverb provides a extra vivid picture. The eyes aren’t simply glowing: They’re tremendous sparkly!

  • Onna no ko no me wa kirakira kagayaiteita.(女の子の目はきらきら輝いていた。)= The lady’s eyes have been glowing.

The verb suru (する), which implies “to do,” is commonly used as properly, placing nearly all of the heavy lifting on the adverb. 

  • Suki na hito ga watashi no tonari no seki ni suwatte mune ga dokidoki shita!(好きな人が私の隣の席に座って胸がどきどきした!)= The individual I like sat within the seat subsequent to me and my coronary heart was pounding!

Unfavorable adverbs

When utilizing an adverb for unfavourable situations, the sentence or clause will finish in an appropriately unfavourable conjugation. Understanding the fundamentals of Japanese verb conjugation is beneficial for placing these adverbs into observe. The “~nai” proven within the heart column of the desk beneath is to point that the verb or adjective conjugation can be unfavourable.

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
まだ~ないmada~nainot but
あまり~ないamari~nainot very
ほとんど~ないhotondo~naihardly
全然~ないzenzen~naiin no way
さっぱり~ないsappari~naiin no way (informal)
別に~ないbetsu ni~nainot significantly
決して~ないkeshite~naicompletely not; by no means
必ずしも~ないkanarazu shi mo~nainot essentially
ろくに~ないrokuni~nainot correctly
まさか~ないmasaka~naiby no means thought that…

Relying on the formality of the sentence, the unfavourable conjugation on the finish of the phrase might not be -nai. As an alternative, it might be one other unfavourable ending just like the extra well mannered -arimasen. You may see this in motion in these instance sentences the place the primary makes use of a verb conjugation with the -nai ending and the second makes use of an adjective conjugation with the -arimasen ending.

  • Sappari wakaranai yo.(さっぱり分からないよ。)= I don’t know. (Actually: I don’t perceive in any respect.)
  • Fuyu no hello wa kanarazu shi mo samuku arimasen.(冬の日は必ずしも寒くありません。)= Winter days aren’t essentially chilly.

Do you know Japanese adjectives can be changed into adverbs? We do that in English, too! The 2 sorts of Japanese adjectives—i-adjectives and na-adjectives—conjugate in a different way. For i-adjectives, the ultimate character i (い) is changed into a ku (く). For na-adjectives, ni (に) is added to the top of the phrase as a substitute of na (な). 

JapaneseRomanizationEnglish
遅い・遅くosoi/osokusluggish/slowly
早い・早くhayai/hayakuearly/early
すごい・すごくsugoi/sugokusuperb/amazingly
速い・速くhayai/hayakuquick/rapidly
悪い・悪くwarui/warukuunhealthy/badly
いい・よくii/yokugood/properly
真面目(な)・真面目にmajime (na)/majime nisevere/severely
静か(な)・静かにshizuka (na)/shizuka niquiet/quietly
上手(な)・上手にjōzu (na)/jōzu niskillful/skillfully
下手(な)・下手にheta (na)/heta nipoor/poorly

You may see how the adjectives-turned-adverbs work in these sentences:

  • Okinawa wa sugoku utsukushii!(沖縄はすごく美しい!)= Okinawa is extremely stunning!
  • Kossetsu shita tekubi no sei de namae o heta ni kaite shimaimashita.(骨折した手首のせいで名前を下手に書いてしまいました。)= I wrote my identify poorly on account of my damaged wrist.

Key takeaways about Japanese adverbs

  • Japanese adverbs—or fukushi—modify different components of speech and are used for particular expressions.
  • Adverbs describe time, diploma, method, amount, conjecture, and extra.
  • The separate class of Japanese onomatopoeia are additionally included in adverbs.
  • The position of Japanese adverbs in a sentence is comparatively free in easy sentences.

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