The Meaning of itatte [至って] In Japanese

至って
いたって
Romaji: itatte N3

What does 至って mean?

Translation and Meaning

to the utmost, extremely, especially

Definition

至って means extremely or to the utmost; it’s used to intensify a quality or state, typically in neutral or formal contexts, to express a high degree of something.

Type

adverb (副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Extremely or to a very high degree; used to emphasize a quality or state
  • Especially or particularly, as a modifier in formal contexts
  • Can introduce a general assessment of a situation as notably so

Composition

至る: to reach, extremity; って: te-form suffix that creates the adverbial form; Hence 至って expresses ‘to that extent’ or ‘extremely’.
  • 至: to reach, extreme
  • って: te-form adverbial suffix

Usage

Used mainly in written or formal speech to stress degree; attaches to adjectives and verbs in their dictionary form to create an adverbial modifier; common in essays and reporting. Examples in Japanese include 至って普通だ and 至って重要だ.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine two Ts meeting at the tip of a target, signaling ‘to that extent’ as you describe something extreme.

Variations

  • 極めて kiwamete — extremely
  • 非常に hijō ni — very
  • とても totemo — very
  • 特に tokuni — especially

Example Phrases

  • 今日の会議は至って順調だったので、安心した。
    Kyou no kaigi wa itatte jouchou datta node, anshin shita.
    Today’s meeting was extremely smooth, so I felt relieved.
    Lista:
    • 今日の (kyou no) – direct translation in en
    • 会議は (kaigi wa) – direct translation in en
    • 至って (itatte) – direct translation in en
    • 順調だった (jouchou datta) – direct translation in en
    • ので (node) – direct translation in en
    • 安心した (anshin shita) – direct translation in en
    「至って」 is an adverb meaning ‘extremely’; here it modifies 「順調だった」 to mean ‘extremely smooth’.
至って