Japanese Adverbs: Complete Guide to Frequency, Degree, and Manner
Japanese adverbs are placed directly before the word they modify and never conjugate. They express frequency (いつも、たまに), degree (とても、かなり), manner (ゆっくり、はっきり), and time (もう、まだ、もうすぐ). Mastering them transforms your sentences from correct to natural.
Frequency adverbs
Frequency adverbs express how often something happens, from always to never. They typically appear before the verb or at the start of the clause.
Degree adverbs
Degree adverbs intensify or soften adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. とても and すごく are common in speech; 非常に and かなり appear in formal and written Japanese.
Time adverbs: もう vs まだ
もう (already / not anymore) and まだ (still / not yet) are among the most important adverbs for N5. Their meaning shifts depending on whether the sentence is positive or negative.
Manner adverbs (mimetic and descriptive)
Manner adverbs describe how an action is performed. Many are onomatopoeic (擬態語, gitaigo) — words that mimic a manner or texture rather than a sound.
Common mistakes
めったに行きます
Rightめったに行きません
めったに (rarely) must be followed by a negative. めったに行きます contradicts itself — "rarely go" requires the negative form.
とても好きじゃない
Rightあまり好きじゃない
とても does not pair naturally with negative forms in standard Japanese. Use あまり〜ない (not very/not much) for negative degree.
もう来ませんでした
Rightまだ来ていません / もう来ません
もう with a negative past is unnatural. For "has not come yet" use まだ来ていません. For "will not come anymore" use もう来ません (present negative).
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Where do adverbs go in a Japanese sentence?
Japanese adverbs are placed immediately before the word or phrase they modify. Frequency and time adverbs often come at the start of the clause or just before the verb: いつも 7 時に起きます. Degree adverbs go directly before the adjective: とても寒い. There is no adverb-adjective agreement — adverbs never conjugate.
What is the difference between とても and すごく in Japanese?
Both mean "very" but differ in register. とても is neutral and safe in most contexts (written and spoken). すごく is more colloquial/spoken and sounds casual — native speakers use it constantly in conversation but you would not write it in a formal essay. すごい can also be used as an interjection ("amazing!").
How do もう and まだ work with negative sentences?
The meaning of もう and まだ flips with negation. もう + positive = "already": もう食べた (already ate). もう + negative = "no longer/not anymore": もう食べない (will not eat anymore). まだ + positive = "still": まだ住んでいる (still living there). まだ + negative = "not yet": まだ食べていない (have not eaten yet).