Most common Japanese adverbs list

Adverbs play an important part in the sentence. It makes the sentence clearer and more nuanced. In this post, Learn Japanese Daily will introduce to you the basic knowledge of Japanese adverbs (Definition of Japanese adverbs, types of Japanese adverbs, how to use Japanese adverbs…), as well as the most common Japanese adverbs list.

What are Japanese adverbs?

Japanese adverbs are words used to modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. There are also cases where Japanese adverbs modify nouns.

Example :

とてもきれいです (totemo kirei desu) : It is very beautiful. In this sentence, とても (very) is an adverb that modifies the adjective きれい (beautiful)

一番早く走ったのは私でした (ichiban hayaku hashita no ha watashi deshita) : The one who ran the fastest was me. In this sentence, 一番 – ichiban (number one, first place, best, most) is an adverb that modifies another adverb 早く – hayaku (quickly, fast), and the adverb 早く – hayaku (quickly, fast) modifies the verb 走った – hashitta (ran).

もっと上を探しなさい (motto ue wo sagashinasai): Look for it even above. In this sentence, the adverb もっと (more, even more) modifies the noun 上 – ue (above, up, over, top)

Types of Japanese adverbs

Japanese adverbs indicating the state

These are Japanese adverbs that modify verbs. They show how an action described by a verb takes place according to the state.

These Japanese adverbs are divided into the following types :

Adverbs indicating time relations

準備をすぐに始める (Get ready immediately)

Adverbs indicating frequency

たまに買い物に行く : I sometimes go shopping

いつもニコニコする : Always smile 

Adverbs indicating the condition

背がぐんぐん伸びる : grow taller and taller

Adverbs indicating the sound of animals in Japanese

蛙がケロケロとなく : The frog squeals “kero kero”

Japanese adverbs indicating the degree 

These adverbs are used to modify questions, sentences expressing a ban or emotional expressions.

非常に美しい : Very beautiful (modify adjective)

もっとゆっくり歩け : Walk more slowly (modify verb)

Japanese adverbs indicating the description

These adverbs are used in certain sentences such as:

明日はきっと雨だ : It will definitely rain tomorrow

おそらくこないだろう: Probably won’t come 

まさか彼はいくまい : No way he will go

なぜいかないのか : Why not go? 

Demonstrative adverbs

They include some adverbs such as: こう (like this), そう (like that)

そうしましょう : Let’s do that.

Position of Japanese adverbs in the sentence

They can be placed at the beginning of the sentence:

この間、彼女とあった : Recently, I met her

Or they can be placed before verbs or adjectives that they modify :

ゆっくり歩く : Walk slowly

かなり重い : quite heavy.

How to create Japanese adverbs

Basically, Japanese adverbs are available. With adverbs created from adjectives, they are created as follows :

A い : い –> く . Example: 高い　→　高く、　はやい　→　はやく

A な : remove な and add に. Example : きれいな　→　きれいに.

Most common Japanese adverbs list:

1. 今 [いま] : now

2. まだ : not yet

3. そう : like that

4. もう : already

5. どうぞ : please, kindly, feel free

6. よく : often

7. こう : like this

8. もっと : more, even more

9. 直ぐ [すぐ] : immediately, right away, soon

10. とても : very

11. いつも : always

12. 一番 [いちばん] : number one, first place, best, most

13. 一緒に [いっしょに] : together (with)

14. かなり : considerably, fairly, quite

15. 少し [すこし] : small quantity, little, few

16. 近く [ちかく] : nearly

17. 多分 [たぶん] : perhaps, probably

18. ちょっと : little bit

19. いっぱい : fully, much

20. 時々 [ときどき] : sometimes

21. 本当に [ほんとうに] : really, truly

22. ゆっくり : slowly, at ease

23. ほとんど : mostly, practically, almost

24. もう : further, more, again; already

25. 初めて [はじめて] : for the first time

26. まず : first (of all), anyway, now

27. あまり : not very, not much

28. 一人で [ひとりで] : alone, by oneself

29. ちょうど : exactly, precisely, just, right

30. ようこそ : Welcome!

31. 絶対に [ぜったいに] : absolutely, unconditionally, never

32. なるほど : I see, that’s right, indeed

33. つまり : that is to say, in other words, I mean, that means

34. そのまま : without change, as it is, as it was

35. はっきり : clearly

36. 直接 [ちょくせつ] : direct, immediate

37. 特に [とくに] : particularly, especially

38. あちこち : here and there, all around, everywhere

39. もし : if, in case, supposing

40. 全く [まったく] : really, truly, entirely, completely

41. もちろん : of course, certainly

42. やはり : as expected

43. よろしく: best regards, please do

44. いつか : sometime, someday, one day

45. たくさん : a lot, plenty, many

46. また : again

47. 非常に [ひじょうに] : very, extremely

48. 必ず [かならず] : without exception, necessarily, certainly, 

49. 急に [きゅうに] : suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly

50. ずっと : continuously in some state, throughout, all the way

Above is Most common Japanese adverbs list. See other similar posts at category : Japanese particles

Stay with us on :

Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Reddit