One of the difficulties in creating a conversation in Japanese is the thousands of different expressions and grammar, our uncle Google translator only worsens our learning at the aperto moment, translating incorrectly, using mortas and nonsensical expressions.
Japanese has many small words, adverbs, and expressions that help enrich our sentences and conversations in Japanese. In this article, I have selected several words to deepen your nihongo.
For those who don't know, the adverb is the grammatical class of words that modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Table of Content
Words and time adverbs
さっき - sakki - A while ago
さっきのことはありがとう。
Sakki no koto wa arigatō;
Thank you for what you did a while ago;
先ほど - sakihodo - a little while ago
先ほどいらっしゃいました。
Sakihodo irasshaimashita;
(he) came a little behind;
We saw earlier;
- たったいま - tattaima - just, just now
- たまに - tamani - occasionally, sometimes
- まさに - masani - certainly, exactly, precisely, precisely...
- 結局 - kekkyoku - after all, after all, in the end
結局,恋人になりました。
Kekkyoku, koibito ni narimashi
In the end, they became girlfriend/boyfriend.
- たいてい - taitei - usually, always, usually, more, almost
- いつでも - itsudemo - anytime, always, anytime
いつでも来て下さい。Itsudemo kitte kudasai
Please come anytime;
きまって - kimatte - always, routinely, constantly
ずっと - zutto - all the time, all the way, long, long, always
彼はずっとテレビを見た。
kare wa zutto terebi wo mita;
He watched TV for a long time;
いつか - itsuka - some time, someday
いつか,月へ行きたい。
itsuka, tsuki ele ikitai;
Someday I want to go to the Moon;
しばらく - Shibaraku - for a while, for now, a little
しばらくお待ち下さい。
Shibaraku Omachi kudasai;
Please wait for a while;
そろそろ - sorosoro - soon, for now, soon
そろそろ始めましょう。
sorosoro hajimemashou;
Let's get started soon;
- とっくに - tokkuni - already, a long time ago
- このごろ - konogoro - nowadays, these days
- いまごろ - imagoro - about this time, Around this time
あしたのいまごろ
Ashita no imagoro
tomorrow at this time
in the present tense
さきに - Sakini - before, doing, ahead, forward
さいしょに - Saisho ni - in the beginning, first
最初に食べましょう。
Saisho ni tabemashou;
Let's eat first;
さいごに - saigo ni - in the end, finally, lastly
最後になりました。
saigo ni narimashita;
Finally arrived / I was the last
いまだに - imadani - still, still, even now
descriptive words
- きちんと - kichinto - precisely, exactly, neatly
- ちゃんと - Chanto - correctly, neatly
- ぴったり - Pittari - exactly perfect complete
- はっきり - hakkiri - clear, clearly, evident
- ぎりぎり - girigiri - at the right time, for little
ぎりぎり逃げた
girigiri nigeta
Narrowly escaped;
- いっしょうけんめい - isshoukenmei - using all the power, the best you can do
- 自由に - Jyuu ni - freely, at will, spontaneously
自由に座って下さい
JIYUU ni suwatte kudasai;
Please feel free to have a seat;
ちょくせつ - chokusetsu - directly, precisely
ちょくせつ言う
choku setsu iu
Will speak directly;
急に - kyuuni - suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly
にくい - Nikui - difficult, detestable, arduous, painful
このパンは食べにくいです
Kono pan wa tabe Nikui desu;
This bread is difficult to eat;
やすい - Yasui - easy, simple, cheap, affordable
コーラは飲みやすいです
wa kora nomi Yasui desu.;
It's easy to drink coke;
全く - mattaku - exactly, really, truly, completely, quite, very,
全く同じ
Mattaku Onaji
exactly the same
たいがい - taigai - most, mainly, most likely
Degree of...
- ずいぶん - zuibun - very, quite, extremely,
- かなり - kanari - quite, relatively, reasonably
- 結構 - kekkou - fairly, reasonably, considerably, quite
結構上手ですね
Kekkou jouzu desu ne;
He is very good..;
- もっと - motto - more
- できるだけ - dekiru dake - as much as possible, as far as can be done, possible
できるだけ,早く帰ってね
Dekiru dake hayaku Kaette ne
Return as soon as possible;
- ちっとも - chittomo - no way, not at all, absolutely
- ほとんど - hotondo - most, almost, almost all
ほとんどのアメリカ人は日本語ができない
Hotondo no amerikajin wa nihongo ga dekinai;
Most Americans cannot speak Japanese;
- あんなに - annani - such, like, like that, similar, thus
- ほど - hodo - about some, more or less, such, so, similar, in this way
- ほど~ではない ~ hodo dewanai - not so much, not as.
conjunctions
- だが- Daga - but, although, just, otherwise, although, except, entertaining, however
- (な)のに - (na) noni - although, still, however, although
勉強してのに,いつも失敗
noni benkyou shite, itsumo shippai;
Although I study, I always fail;
(な)ので - (na) node - then, because, by reason, since, instead of
日本語は難しいのでもっと勉強します
Nihongo wa muzukashīnode motto benkyō shimasu;
Because Japanese is difficult, I will study more;
Others
- とにかく - tonikaku - in any case, in any event, anyway
- について - nitsuite - about, for, for, in relation to, in favor
くまのプーさんについて話しましょう
Kuma no pū-san ni tsuite hanashimashou;
Let's talk about Winnie the Poo
ため - tame - For this reason, for his/her benefit, cause
由美のためにプレゼントを買った
Yumi não tame ni purezento o katta
I bought a present for Yumi
ように~ youni - So, in this way, as
私のようにして下さい
Watashi no youni shite kudasai;
Please do as I do;
- まるで - marude - as well as, quite, as
- くれぐれも - kure guremo - one and another time; repeatedly; seriously
- しても - shitemo - even if
- らしい - Rashii - it seems, it seems that, they say that, appear
その絵はとてもピカソらしいですね
Sono e wa totemo Pikaso Rashii desu ne;
Isn't the painting very much like Picasso?
特に - tokuni - especially, particularly, in particular
特に素晴らしいことです
tokuni subarashii koto desu;
It is an especially wonderful thing!
はず - hazu - must be, must be, must have
あの店はあるはずです
Ano mise wa aru hazu desu;
This store must have;
- その上 - sono ue - besides, furthermore, in it
- など - nado - and so on, such as, etc.
- すなわち - sunawachi - that is, ie, or
- むしろ - mushiro - instead (that)
- しかも - shikamo - moreover, and yet
These were some adverbs and small expressions in Japanese, I hope you enjoyed them, and that this list of words was useful.