副詞・呼応表現

あいにく店長てんちょうは外出がいしゅつしております。

Unfortunately the manager is out at the moment.

Usage あいにく softens bad news, especially in service and business Japanese: あいにくですが, あいにくの雨 (rain that spoils the plan).

Remember it The word that comes just before '…but we can't'. If you hear あいにく, the answer is no.

あくまで個人こじんの意見いけんですが、反対はんたいです。

This is strictly my personal opinion, but I'm against it.

Usage Two uses: 'strictly speaking, only…' (あくまで予定です) and 'to the bitter end' (あくまで戦う). Often あくまでも.

Remember it Written 飽くまで — 'until you have had your fill': push to the limit, or take the statement only that far.

嫌きらわれるのを承知しょうちで、あえて言いいます。

Knowing it will make me unpopular, I'll say it anyway.

Usage あえて = doing the difficult or unnecessary thing on purpose: あえて言う, あえて何もしない (deliberately doing nothing).

Remember it Choosing the hard road when you didn't have to — English 'dare to' fits it exactly.

案あんの定じょう、電車でんしゃは遅おくれていた。

Sure enough, the train was late.

Usage 案の定 = the thing you predicted — usually something bad — did happen: 案の定、失敗した. Not used for happy surprises.

Remember it 案 (a guess) + 定 (fixed) → your guess turned out to be settled fact.

いかにも高たかそうな時計とけいをしている。

He's wearing a watch that really does look expensive.

Usage いかにも = exactly as you would picture it: いかにも日本的, and very often with そうだ or らしい.

Remember it Think 'every inch the…': いかにも学生らしい = every inch a student.

ビールを一気いっきに飲のみ干ほした。

He downed the beer in one go.

Usage 一気に = in a single burst: 一気に読む, 一気に増える. 一気飲み (downing a drink in one) is frowned on these days.

Remember it 一 (one) + 気 (breath) → all in one breath.

鳥とりが一斉いっせいに飛とび立たった。

The birds took off all at once.

Usage 一斉に = many things acting at the same moment: 一斉にスタートする, 一斉送信 (sending to everyone at once).

Remember it 一 (one) + 斉 (aligned) → everyone lined up, moving as one.

原因げんいんは依然いぜんとして不明ふめいだ。

The cause remains unknown.

Usage Almost always 依然として: 依然として厳しい状況. A written, news-report word meaning nothing has changed.

Remember it 依 (to remain as) + 然 (in that state) → still in the state it was.

いまだに彼かれから返事へんじが来こない。

I still haven't had a reply from him.

Usage いまだに = still, even now, with impatience or surprise attached: いまだに信じられない. Usually with a negative.

Remember it 今 + だに — 'even as of now', with the speaker's frustration built in.

雨あめが降ふって一層いっそう寒さむくなった。

It rained and got colder still.

Usage 一層 = even more so: より一層, 一層の努力 (greater effort still). Formal; in speech people say もっと.

Remember it 一 (one) + 層 (layer) → one more layer on top of what was there already.

直なおすより、いっそ新あたらしいのを買かおう。

Rather than fixing it, we may as well buy a new one.

Usage いっそ = 'I'd rather just…', when the bolder option looks easier than the fiddly one. Often いっそのこと.

Remember it The word for giving up on half measures. Repair it? No — いっそ, replace it.

今更いまさら謝あやまっても遅おそい。

It's too late to apologise now.

Usage 今更 = at this late stage, with reproach: 今更聞けない (too embarrassing to ask now). Often with ても or 遅い.

Remember it 今 (now) + 更 (again) → bringing it up now, of all moments.

うっかり鍵かぎを部屋へやに置おき忘わすれた。

I carelessly left my key in the room.

Usage うっかり = a slip through inattention: うっかりミス, うっかりしていた. It excuses you slightly — you didn't mean it.

Remember it A blank moment: うっかり mistakes come from an empty head, not from bad intent.

思おもわず大声おおごえで笑わらってしまった。

I burst out laughing before I could stop myself.

Usage 思わず = the body acted before the mind did: 思わず声が出た. It always describes something that already happened.

Remember it 思わ + ず (the old negative) → without thinking.

駅えきまでおよそ十分じゅっぷんかかる。

It takes roughly ten minutes to the station.

Usage およそ = approximately, before a number: およそ三千人. With a negative it means 'not at all': およそ考えられない.

Remember it Neighbour to 約 and だいたい — およそ is the slightly more formal of the three.

薬くすりを飲のんだら、かえって悪わるくなった。

I took the medicine and it only made things worse.

Usage かえって = the opposite of what you expected happened: 早く行ったらかえって待たされた. It marks a reversal, not a contrast.

Remember it From 返る (to turn back) → the result turned back on you.

ここにはかつて大おおきな工場こうじょうがあった。

There was once a large factory here.

Usage かつて = once, long ago, in formal or written style: かつての友人 (a former friend). With a negative, かつてない = unprecedented.

Remember it The 'once upon a time' of grown-up prose — and かつてない means nothing like it has ever happened.

書類しょるいをきちんと整理せいりしておく。

I keep the documents properly organised.

Usage きちんと = neatly, and as it should be: きちんとした人 (someone reliable and put together), きちんと挨拶する. ちゃんと is the casual twin.

Remember it The sound of things clicking into place: きちん.

昨夜ゆうべはぐっすり眠ねむれた。

I slept soundly last night.

Usage ぐっすり goes with sleep and nothing else: ぐっすり眠る, ぐっすり寝る.

Remember it A one-partner word: ぐっすり + 眠る. Nothing else in Japanese is ever ぐっすり.

予想よそうはことごとく外はずれた。

Every single one of my predictions was wrong.

Usage ことごとく = all of them without exception, formal, and often used of failures: ことごとく失敗する.

Remember it 悉く — 'all of it, item by item'. Colder and heavier than 全部.

さすが日本一にほんいちの職人しょくにんだ。

That's the finest craftsman in Japan for you.

Usage さすが praises what lives up to its reputation: さすがですね, さすが先生. But さすがに means 'even so': さすがに疲れた.

Remember it Two faces: さすが = 'as expected — impressive'; さすがに = 'even for me, that was too much'.

この道みちでは事故じこがしばしば起おこる。

Accidents happen frequently on this road.

Usage しばしば = often, a written word; speech uses よく. It ranks above 時々 in frequency.

Remember it 度々 is its everyday cousin. しばしば belongs to reports and essays.

昔むかしの写真しゃしんを見みてしみじみとした。

Looking at the old photographs moved me deeply.

Usage しみじみ = feeling something quietly and deeply: しみじみ感じる, しみじみ思う. Often about time passing.

Remember it From 染みる (to soak in) → the feeling soaks into you rather than hitting you.

少すくなくとも三日みっかはかかる。

It will take at least three days.

Usage 少なくとも = at least, with a number or a minimum claim: 少なくとも私はそう思う. Its opposite is せいぜい.

Remember it 少ない + とも → 'even taking the small end of it'.

約束やくそくをすっかり忘わすれていた。

I'd completely forgotten the appointment.

Usage すっかり = completely, describing a change or a state: すっかり変わった, すっかり春だ. For 'all of it' in quantity, use 全部.

Remember it Nothing left over: すっかり忘れる means not a trace of the memory remains.

集あつまってもせいぜい十人じゅうにんだろう。

Even if everyone comes, it'll be ten people at most.

Usage せいぜい = at most, and it belittles the number: せいぜい三千円. Said to a person, せいぜい頑張って can sound sarcastic.

Remember it 精々 — 'with all your might', turned ironic: that is the most you'll manage.

せっかく来きたのに休やすみだった。

I went to all that trouble to come, and they were closed.

Usage せっかく marks effort you would hate to waste: せっかくの休み, せっかくだから食べていこう. Very often paired with のに.

Remember it The word carries regret in advance: せっかく … のに = all that effort, and…

たとえ雨あめが降ふっても行いきます。

I'll go even if it rains.

Usage たとえ always pairs with ても or でも: たとえ失敗しても. Leave the ても out and the sentence hangs unfinished.

Remember it A fixed pair, plug and socket: たとえ … ても.

果はたしてこの計画けいかくはうまくいくだろうか。

Will this plan really work, I wonder?

Usage Two uses: with a question, 'I wonder whether really…'; with a statement, 'sure enough' (果たしてその通りになった).

Remember it From 果たす (to fulfil) → will it actually be fulfilled?

問題もんだいはひとまず解決かいけつした。

The problem is settled for now.

Usage ひとまず = for the time being, before the real solution: ひとまず安心, ひとまず置いておく. とりあえず is the casual equivalent.

Remember it 一先ず — 'one step first' → enough for now, the rest later.

準備じゅんびはほぼ終おわった。

The preparations are almost done.

Usage ほぼ = almost, very nearly all of it: ほぼ毎日, ほぼ同じ. だいたい is looser; ほぼ implies you are within a hair of it.

Remember it Closer than だいたい, short of 完全に — ほぼ leaves only a sliver.

まさか彼かれが来くるとは思おもわなかった。

I never imagined he would actually come.

Usage まさか = surely not: on its own, まさか！ means 'no way!'. It pairs with とは思わなかった or ないだろう.

Remember it The word of disbelief — it expects a negative behind it: まさか…ないだろう.

電車でんしゃがまもなく到着とうちゃくします。

The train will arrive shortly.

Usage まもなく = soon, in announcements and writing: まもなく開演です. Everyday speech says もうすぐ.

Remember it 間 (interval) + もなく (without) → without an interval: right away.

都会とかいより、むしろ田舎いなかに住すみたい。

If anything, I'd rather live in the countryside than the city.

Usage むしろ = rather, if anything — choosing the second option after weighing both: AよりむしろB.

Remember it Not a plain 'instead': むしろ is a preference arrived at after comparing.

父ちちはめったに怒おこらない。

My father hardly ever gets angry.

Usage めったに always takes a negative: めったに行かない, めったにない (rare). It never appears with a plain positive verb.

Remember it Another fixed pair: めったに … ない.

休やすみの日ひはもっぱら本ほんを読よんでいる。

On my days off I do nothing but read.

Usage もっぱら = exclusively, mainly: もっぱらの噂 (the talk of the town). Slightly formal, a little literary.

Remember it 専ら — the same 専 as 専門: all your attention on one thing only.

春はるが来きて、やがて桜さくらが咲さく。

Spring comes, and before long the cherries bloom.

Usage やがて = before long, in narrative and written style: やがて彼は気づいた. It suggests time flowing, not a fixed schedule.

Remember it The storyteller's 'soon'. Novels use it where speech would say そのうち.

三年さんねんかかってようやく完成かんせいした。

After three years, it is finally finished.

Usage ようやく = at last, after a long wait: ようやく春が来た. やっと is the everyday twin; ようやく is a shade more formal.

Remember it Relief after a long haul — the word carries the waiting inside it.

弟おとうとはわざと負まけてくれた。

My little brother lost on purpose.

Usage わざと = on purpose, often with mischief or bad faith in it: わざと遅れる. Compare わざわざ, which is trouble taken kindly.

Remember it わざと = on purpose (often unkind); わざわざ = out of one's way (usually kind). One syllable apart, worlds apart.

わざわざ来きてくれてありがとう。

Thank you for coming all this way.

Usage わざわざ = going out of your way: わざわざすみません. Of someone else it is thanks; of your own effort it can sound resentful.

Remember it Trouble taken deliberately — pair it with ありがとう or すみません.