Adverbs of manner in Japanese – List and importance

Adverbs (or 副詞 – fukushi) are words that characterize a verb. In other words, they specify the way in which an action is performed. On one hand, we have adjectives, which characterize nouns, and on the other hand, we have adverbs, which, as mentioned before, are responsible for giving characteristics to verbs. To exemplify, we can say things like: “I ran quickly” (速く走った, Hayaku hashitta) instead of just saying “I ran.” That is, we are characterizing the action “to run.”

In general, adverbs of manner in the Portuguese language tend to end with the suffix “mente.” Another possibility is when we say that someone ran “in a quick way” (which essentially means the same as “quickly”).

Another example of an adverb of manner is the term ちゃんと (chanto) which means, among other things, “correctly,” “right,” “the right way.”

Read also: Fukushi – List of Adverbs in Japanese

In Japanese, adverbs of manner serve the same function, that is, they indicate the way in which the action is performed, but there are some peculiarities regarding the structure, such as the insertion of the particle と after some of them. Furthermore, many onomatopoeias can also behave like adverbs of manner, depending on the sentence construction and context.

In addition to adverbs of manner, there are adverbs of intensity and adverbs of time (frequency), such as in the case of たくさん (takusan), とても (totemo), and 時々 (tokidoki), respectively.

In this article, we will see some important adverbs of manner in the Japanese language. So, prepare your paper and pen, and let’s go together!

List of Adverbs of Manner in Japanese

• さっぱり = Sappari = Refreshing, clean, completely, without reservations.
• ぼんやり = Bonyari = Vaguely, unfocused, aimlessly.
• ぴったり = Pittari = Perfectly, exactly, without surplus or shortage.
• ぐっすり = Gussuri = Deeply, sleeping well.
• うっかり = Ukkari = By accident, inadvertently, unintentionally.
• こっそり = Kossori = Secretly, stealthily, quietly.
• きっちり = Kicchiri = Precisely, rigorously, without errors.
• がっちり = Gacchiri = Strongly, with force, solidly.
• がっしり = Gasshiri = Firmly, solidly, reliably.
• がっくり = Gakkuri = Disappointed, disheartened, discouraged.
• くっきり = Kukkiri = Distinctly, clearly, sharply.
• ぎっしり = Gisshiri = Full, packed, stuffed.
• きっぱり = Kippari = Decisively, resolutely, with determination.
• うんざり = Unzari = Tired, bored, fed up.
• じっくり = Jikkuri = Attentively, carefully, thoroughly.
• ずらり = Zurari = In a row, in line, in series.
• ずばり = Zubari = Precisely, frankly, directly.
• ばったり = Battari = By chance, unexpectedly, suddenly.
• うっすら = Ussura = Vaguely, faintly, indistinctly.
• やんわり = Yanwari = Softly, gently, kindly.
• あっさり = Assari = Light, without weight, without heavy fat or seasoning.
• がんがん = Gangan = Vigorously, forcefully, without hesitation.
• ぴりぴり = Piripiri = Tingling, spicy, burning.
• 整然 (せいぜん) = Seizen = Orderly, in order, well organized.
• 断然 (だんぜん) = Danzen = Decidedly, with a great difference, undoubtedly.
• とっとと = Tottoto = Quickly, immediately, without delay.
• 矢鱈 (やたら) = Yatara = Excessively, disorderly, randomly.
• 突如 (とつじょ) = Totsujo = Suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly.
• だんこ = Danko = Firm, robust, strong.
• かっこ = Kakko = Cool, impressive, stylish.
• こっこく = Kokkoku = Continuously, without interruption, without stopping.
• さっそく = Sassoku = Immediately, without delay, promptly.
• 生き生き (いきいき) = Ikiiki = Lively, animated, vibrant.
• ぞくぞく = Zokuzoku = One after another, in rapid succession, in large numbers.
• 着々 (ちゃくちゃく) = Chakuchaku = Progressively, steadily, without interruption.
• 堂々 (どうどう) = Doudou = Imposing, majestic, dignified.
• 点々 (てんてん) = Tenten = Scattered here and there, in sparse points.
• しみじみ = Shimijimi = Deeply, wholeheartedly, with great feeling.
• つくづく = Tsukuzuku = Completely, deeply, carefully.
• 伸び伸び (のびのび) = Nobinobi = Freely, relaxed, without restrictions.
• 愚図愚図 (ぐずぐず) = Guzuguzu = Slowly, lazily, taking one’s time.
• ぶらぶら = Burabura = Aimlessly, wandering, idly.
• オドオド = Odoodo = Nervously, fearfully, hesitantly.
• ひらり = Hirari = Lightly, delicately, gracefully.

List of frequently appearing adverbs of manner

Below, a video explaining in detail the difference between the adverbs ちゃんと (chanto), きちんと (kichinto), and しっかり (shikkari) that confuse many students. Note: The video is entirely in Japanese!

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