The Meaning of atarimae [当たり前] In Japanese
当たり前
あたりまえ
Romaji: atarimae
N4
What does 当たり前 mean?
Translation and Meaning
natural, obvious, taken for granted, expected
Definition
When asked ‘What does 当たり前 mean?’, it denotes something natural, obvious, or expected in a given situation; it describes a standard or norm that requires no special justification, and it is used to express that something is normal within a particular context.
Type
na-adjective, noun (na-adjective / noun)
Stroke Order
Meanings
- obviousness or naturalness in a given context
- taken for granted or assumed to be true
- the norm or standard expectation in a social or practical setting
- the obvious choice or the thing that should be done
Etymology
etimologia The pronunciation atarimae comes from the native noun form 当たり (from 当たる) combined with 前; the word is treated as a native compound rather than a borrowword, preserving a kun’yomi-based reading.
Composition
- 当たり: noun form of 当たる; implies due, hit, or appropriate
- 前: front, before
Usage
Used as a noun or na-adjective to describe things that are natural, obvious, or expected; in casual speech it marks something as common sense, while in formal writing it can discuss norms or societal expectations; typically used with the copula だ or です to state that something is the norm.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: Visualize 前 (front) with what is due; the thing at the front that is due is natural and obvious, which is the core sense of 当たり前.
Variations
- 当然 (tōzen) — synonym; means ‘as a matter of course’
- 普通 (futsū) — synonym; means ‘normal, ordinary’
- 珍しい (mezurashii) — antonym; means ‘rare, unusual’
Words with the same Kanji
Words with the same Meaning
Example Phrases
-
学校では 時間を 守るのは 当たり前 だと 思う。Gakkou de wa jikan o mamoru no wa atarimae da to omou.At school, being on time is the norm.Lista:
- 学校では (Gakkou de wa) – at school
- 時間を (jikan o) – time
- 守るのは (mamoru no wa) – keeping (it) is
- 当たり前 (atarimae) – the norm
- だと (da to) – it’s that
- 思う (omou) – I think
「当たり前」 expresses ‘the norm/obvious’ here.
