EXAMPLE さっきのことはありがとう。 sakki no koto wa arigatou. Thank you for what you did a while ago. 先ほど sakihodo – a little while ago EXAMPLE 先ほどいらっしゃいました。 sakihodo irasshaimashita. (he) came a little while ago. たったいま tattaima – just, just now たまに tamani – occasionally, sometimes EXAMPLE たまに東京へ行く。 tama ni toukyou he iku. I go to Tokyo sometimes. まさに masani – just, very, be about to… 結局 kekkyoku – in the end, after all 結局、恋人になりました。kekkyoku, koibito ni narimashita. In the end, they became girlfriend / boyfriend. たいてい taitei – usually, always, most いつでも itsudemo – anytime, always EXAMPLE いつでも来て下さい。 itsudemo kitte kudasai. Please come anytime. きまって kimatte – always ずっと zutto – all the time, all the way, far EXAMPLE 彼はずっとテレビを見た。 kare wa zutto terebi wo mita. He watched TV for a long time. いつか itsuka – some time, someday EXAMPLE いつか、月へ行きたい。itsuka, tsuki he ikitai. Someday I want to go to the Moon. しばらく shibaraku – for a while EXAMPLE しばらくお待ち下さい。 shibaraku omachi kudasai. Please wait a little while. そろそろ sorosoro – soon EXAMPLE そろそろ 始めましょう sorosoro hajimemashou. Let’s begin soon. とっくに tokkuni – already, long ago このごろ konogoro – these days いまごろ imagoro – about this time EXAMPLE あしたの いまごろ ashita no imagoro – tomorrow about this time
At this Time:
さきに sakini – before ~ do this, ahead
さいしょに saisho ni – in the beginning, firstly EXAMPLE 最初に食べましょう。 saisho ni tabemashou. Let’s eat first. さいごに saigo ni – in the end, lastly EXAMPLE 最後に なりました。 saigo ni narimashita. The end has come. いまだに imadani – still, even now
Descriptive Words:
きちんと kichinto – accurately, exactly
ちゃんと chanto – correctly, neatly ぴったり pittari – exactly, perfect はっきり hakkiri – clear, clearly ぎりぎり girigiri – just in time, just barely… MORE… EXAMPLE ぎりぎり逃げた。 girigiri nigeta. (I) just barely escaped. いっしょうけんめい isshoukenmei – with all of one’s might, as best as one can do 自由に jyuu ni – freely EXAMPLE 自由に座って下さい。jiyuu ni suwatte kudasai. Please feel free to take a seat. (choose any seat freely) ちょくせつ chokusetsu – directly EXAMPLE ちょくせつ言う。choku setsu iu. (I) will speak directly. 急に (きゅうに) kyuuni – suddenly にくい nikui – difficult EXAMPLEこのパンは食べにくいです。 kono pan wa tabe nikui desu. This bread is hard to eat. やすい yasui – easy EXAMPLE コーラは飲みやすいです。 kora wa nomi yasui desu. Cola is easy to drink. 全く mattaku – really, quite, completely EXAMPLE 全く同じ mattaku onaji. (It’s) exactly the same たいがい taigai – most, mostly Degree of…:
ずいぶん zuibun – very, a lot
かなり kanari – fairly, pretty 結構 kekkou – fairly, pretty ~ EXAMPLE 結構上手ですね。 kekkou jouzu desu ne. (he’s) pretty good (at something)! もっと motto – more できるだけ dekiru dake – as much as possible, as much as one can do EXAMPLE できるだけ、 早く帰ってね。 dekiru dake hayaku kaette ne. Come back as soon as possible. ちっとも chittomo – (not) at all ほとんど hotondo – most, almost, nearly all EXAMPLE ほとんどのアメリカ人は 日本語ができない。 hotondo no amerika jin wa nihongo ga dekinai. Most Americans can’t speak Japanese. あんなに annani – such, like that ほど hodo – about some, or so, such ~ほど ~ではない ~hodo ~dewanai – not as ~ as ~
Other:
とにかく tonikaku – anyway, in any case, anyhow
について nitsuite – About, for EXAMPLE くまのプーさんについて 話しましょう。 kuma no pu-san nitsuite hanashimashou. (Let’s talk ABOUT winnie the Pooh.) ため tame – For this reason, for his/her benefit EXAMPLE 由美のためにプレゼントを買った。 yumi no tame ni purezento o katta. (I bought a present for Yumi.) ~ように ~youni – Like this, in this way EXAMPLE 私のようにして下さい。 watashi no youni shite kudasai. Please do like me. まるで marude – just like, quite くれぐれも kure guremo – again and again; repeatedly; earnestly しても shitemo – even if, if らしい rashii – seems, looks as if, they say that ~ EXAMPLE その絵はとてもピカソらしいですね。 sono e wa totemo pikaso rashii desu ne. Isn’t that painting very Picasso-ish? とくに tokuni – especially, particularly EXAMPLE 特に素晴らしいことです。 tokuni subarashii koto desu. It’s an especially wonderful thing! はず hazu -should be, must be EXAMPLE あの店はあるはずです。ano mise wa aru hazu desu. That store should have it. その上 sono ue – besides (what’s more…) など nado – and so on, etc. すなわち sunawachi – that is to say, or むしろ mushiro – rather (than) しかも shikamo – besides, and yet
Conjunctions
だが daga – but, though
(な)のに (na) noni – though, in spite of EXAMPLE 勉強してのに、いつも失敗。 benkyou shite noni, itsumo shippai. Although I study, I always fail. (な)ので (na) node – because, since EXAMPLE 日本語は難しいので もっと勉強します。 nihongo wa muzukashii node motto benkyou shimasu. Because Japanese is difficult, I will study more.