Beginners Guide And List Of Common Adverbs In Japanese
Ichika
Adverbs tell us when, how, why or where the action happens. They modify a verb, a noun, an adjective, another adverb or a complete sentence. They also can provide us information about manner, quantity, frequency, time, or place.
ADVERB RULE: You can make Japanese adverbs from adjectives in two ways:
- In adjective that ends -i (い). Replacing the -i with -ku (く).
- In adjective that ends -na (な). Replacing the -na with -ni (に). This ending corresponds to -ly in English.
Adverbs made from adjectives -i (い)
| **Adjective** | **Adverb** | ||||
| **Japanese** | **Romaji** | **English** | **Japanese** | **Romaji** | **English** |
| 安い | *yasui* | cheap | 安く | *yasuku* | cheaply |
| 早い | *hayai* | quick | 早く | *hayaku* | quickly |
| 良い | *yoi* | good | よく | *yoku* | well |
- I walk quickly.
- 私 は 早 く 歩 く
- Watashi wa hayaku aruku
Adverbs made from adjectives -na (な)
| **Adjective** | **Adverb** | ||||
| **Japanese** | **Romaji** | **English** | **Japanese** | **Romaji** | **English** |
| 静かな | *shizukana* | quiet | 静かに | *shizukani* | quietly |
| 簡単な | *kantan'na* | simple | 簡単に | *kantan'ni* | sipmly |
| きれいな | *kireina* | clean | きれいに | *kireini* | cleanly |
- You eat quietly.
- あ な た は 静 か に 食 べ る
- Anata wa shizuka ni taberu
Adverbs that don't derive from adjectives
| **English** | **Japanese** | **Romaji** | **English** | **Japanese** | **Romaji** |
| yesterday | 昨日 | *kinou* | not much | あまり | *amari* |
| a little | 少し | *sukoshi* | a few | 少ない | *sukunai* |
| today | 今日 | *kyou* | only | ばっかり | *bakkari* |
| perhaps | たぶん | *tabun* | tomorrow | 明日 | *ashita* |
| a little | ちょっと | *chotto* | very | 大変 | *taihen* |
| every day | 毎日 | *mainichi* | how | いかが | *ikaga* |
| a lot | たくさん | *takusan* | every morning | 毎朝 | *maiasa* |
| always | いつも | *itsumo* | sometimes | ときどき | *tokidoki* |
| now | 今 | *ima* | again | また | *mata* |
| very | とても | *totemo* | soon | やがて | *yagate* |
| already | もう | *mou* | slowly | ゆっくり | *yukkuri* |
| inmediately | すぐ | *sugu* | more | もっと | *motto* |
| yet, still | まだ | *mada* | completely | なかなか | *nakanaka* |
| almost | ほとんど | *hotondo* | clearly | はっきり | *hakkiri* |
| quickly | どんどん | *dondon* | seldom | めったに | *metta ni* |
| suddenly | 突然 | *totsuzen* | softly | そっと | *sotto* |
| certainly | きっと | *kitto* | besides | さらに | *sara ni* |
| gradually | そろそろ | *sorosoro* | more and more | 益々 | *masumasu* |
| before | 前に | *mae ni* | after | 後で | *ato de* |
| later | のち | *nochi* | recently | さっき | *sakki* |
| until | さきほど | *sakihodo* | quickly | さっさと | *sassato* |
| again | 再び | *futatabi* | already | すでに | *sudeni* |
| OK | 大丈夫に | *daijoubu ni* | alone | 一人で | *hitori de* |
Examples:
I go to the school every morning.
私 は毎 朝学 校 に 行 く
*Watashi wa maiasa* gakkō ni iku
I almost died in the accident.
私 は ほ と ん ど の 事 故 で 死 亡
Watashi wa hotondo no jiko de shibō.
