Japanese Adverbs 101: A Simple Guide To Increase Your Proficiency

Have you ever been served a bland meal? A meal without any flavor. That’s what a conversation would be like if adjectives and adverbs didn’t exist, flat discussions without any emotion. Previously, we talked about how Japanese adjectives flavor language and modify nouns.

If you want to be proficient in Japanese and express yourself fluently, mastering adjectives and verbs is not enough. Japanese adverbs 副詞 (fukushi) allow us to give specific information about the topic we are talking about. As a result, you will be able to express yourself more clearly and accurately. Would you like to know how to use Japanese adverbs and learn more Japanese? じゃ、始めよう！

What Is An Adverb?

After getting the nitty-gritty of Japanese verbs, let’s look at the following definition of an adverb, as it is essential to clearly understand what an adverb is to use it correctly in any language.

Now the question is, what complements the adjective or the verb? Adverbs give more detailed information about what happens with the verb, an adjective, and even another adverb. What does this mean? For instance, they intensify or flatten a meal’s flavor (adjective); they tell you how, when, where, and how often to eat that meal.

Adverbs refer to words that function as modifiers for verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They play a critical role in meaning-making because they help to specify how, when, and where something happened. They can also indicate the degree of a quality or quantity as well as the extent or scope of an action.

The Difference Between Japanese And English Adverbs

Generally speaking, Japanese adverbs and English adverbs function similarly. Adverbs in English are easy to recognize because they usually end in “ly,” although there are exceptions. A significant difference between Japanese adjectives and English adjectives is their placement. Japanese adverbs can appear anywhere in the sentence as long as they precede the verb they modify. Let’s discover how these adverbs work in the Japanese grammar setting.

How Do Japanese Adverbs Work?

If this is the first time you hear the term “Japanese adverbs,” you may feel a little intimidated. But in fact, if you’ve been studying Japanese for a while, chances are you’ve used the adverbs without even knowing it. For example, if you’ve used the words いっも (itsumo-always), よく(yoku-often), or 多分(tabun-maybe), you already know some Japanese adverbs.

As mentioned in the previous section, the placement of Japanese adverbs is quite versatile.

Let’s see some examples.

1. 彼女は速く走ります。
🔊 Play 彼女は<strong>速く</strong>走ります

• Kanojo wa hayaku hashirimasu.
• She runs fast.

2. 私はいつも朝ごはんを食べます。
🔊 Play 私は<strong>いつも</strong>朝ごはんを食べます

• Watashi wa itsumo asagohan wo tabemasu.
• I always have breakfast.

3. 時々私は運動します。
🔊 Play 時々私は運動します

• Tokidoki watashi wa undō shimasu.
• Sometimes I exercise.

4. 彼は野菜をほとんど食べません。
🔊 Play 彼は野菜をほとんど食べません

• Kare wa yasai wo hotondo tabemasen.
• He rarely eats vegetables.

How To Turn A Japanese Adjective Into An Adverb

Looking at the examples above, you may notice that example number one uses an adverb derived from an adjective (速い → 速く). This is because, in Japanese, there are adverbs that come from adjectives and non-adjective-derived adverbs.

The rule to convert a Japanese adjective into an adverb is very simple: you have to consider whether it is an い-adjective or な– adjective.  

I-adjectives→Adverb: Replace the ( い) with (く)

Examples:

• 速い + く = 速く | Fast → Fastly
  🔊 Play 速く
• 優しい + く = 優しく  | Gentle → Gently
  🔊 Play 優しく
• 悲しい + く= 悲しく  | Sad → Sadly
  🔊 Play 悲しく

Na-adjectives→Adverb: Add (に) to the end adjective.

Examples:

• 簡単→ 簡単に | Easy→Easily
  🔊 Play 簡単に
• 幸せ→ 幸せに  | Happy→Happily
  🔊 Play 幸せに
• 静か→ 静かに | Quiet → Quietly
  🔊 Play 静かに

Japanese adverbs can be divided into different categories: time, frequency, places, manners, and degrees. But their classifications are not something you need to worry about. Understanding how to use them is more than enough. However, even though you don’t need to know their category to use them correctly, it doesn’t hurt to know their type.

Most Commonly Used Japanese Adverbs

Here is a list of the most common adverbs in the Japanese language, so you can enrich your vocabulary and create more meaningful sentences.

What Are Your Thoughts?

Japanese grammar lessons can be overwhelming, especially if your native language is entirely different. Still, don’t be discouraged! As you can see, some topics are easier than you may think. In fact, Japanese adverbs are pretty simple.

If you practice and take into consideration the aspects we introduced today, you’ll be able to make plans, speak with more clarity, and express yourself in a way people will want to hear. You will build a solid foundation that will lead you to fluency in no time.

Level Up Your Japanese With Ling!

Do you want to increase your proficiency in the Japanese language? 

Sometimes conventional study methods are not enough. That’s why Ling is a game-changer, as it offers an interactive educational experience that’ll leave you wanting to learn more every day. Thanks to its wide variety of lessons and engaging activities, you can learn a lot about your target language just by using the app for at least 15 minutes a day!

You can also combine your Ling lessons with our updated blogs, where you can learn new grammar, vocabulary, and everything you need to speak Japanese fluently. What are you waiting for? Try out Ling by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store to start leveling up your Japanese soon!