This post introduces Japanese intensifiers (from standard to slang words) meaning “very”, i.e. synonyms of とても!
(If you’re fond of exploring Japanese synonyms, check my tool: Japanese Synonym Finder)
The level of casualness is described by the number of ★ (the more, the more casual): ★×１ means formal and ★×５ means very casual
Standard Words (★, ★★)
とても/かなり, ★★
Meaning “very”
かなり sounds slightly more intense than とても
- {とても/かなり} 綺麗 (きれい): very beautiful
本当(ほんとう)に, ★★
Meaning “really, truly “
本当の means “real” (e.g.) 本当の話(はなし): real story. In a conversation, it is often pronounced/written as “ホントに”.
- 本当に/ホントにありがとう： I am truly thankful to you
大分 (だいぶ), ★★
Meaning “fairly, mostly, to a moderately large degree”
大分 (or だいぶ) means “very (but not fully/extremely)”. Therefore, you should not use this word to give a compliment to someone (it may rather sound judgemental). For some reason, it is often used to describe time, e.g. 大分前 (long time ago) and 大分経つ”(a lot of time) passes”.
- 大分(だいぶ)疲れた “I feel tired to a large degree”
- だいぶ前(まえ)に撮(と)った写真(しゃしん) “a photo I took long time ago”
- 大分時間が経った “A lot of time has passed”
随分 (ずいぶん), ★★
Meaning “very, really, unusually”
Sometimes, “と” is added after 随分. It is often used to describe time or change over time (but not always).
- 随分と待(ま)たされた “I was made to wait very long”
- 随分前(まえ)にやった “I did very long time ago”
- 雰囲気が随分と変わった”The atmosphere has changed a lot (over time)”
- 随分嬉(うれ)しそうだね “You look unusually happy”
至(いた)って, ★★
Meaning “totally”
It is often used when you emphasise that something/someone is totally normal/fine and there is nothing wrong with them (e.g. many people use this word as 至って普通 “very normal/nothing sketchy” or 至って健康 “totally healthy/fine”).
- 至って普通の会社(かいしゃ) “totally normal/safe company”
- 至って健康(けんこう)だ “totally fine/healthy”
非常（ひじょう）に, ★★
Meaning “exceptionally”
“非” means “not” and “常” means “usual”
- 非常にすばらしい: exceptionally/really awesome
極(きわ)めて, ★
Meaning “extremely”
極 means “extreme/pole”, e.g. 北極/南極 mean “North/South Pole” and 極める means “to master”. It is often used when one expresses one’s anger/disappointment (but it can be used positively as well).
- 極めて残念(ざんねん)だ “That’s extremely unfortunate”
- 極めて非現実的(ひげんじつてき)だ “extremely unrealistic”
- 極めて濃厚(のうこう)なクリーム “extremely thick cream”
誠（まこと）に, ★
Meaning “sincerely, really”
誠 (まこと) means “real/truth”
- 誠に申（もう）し訳（わけ）ありませんでした: I’m sincerrely/trully sorry
実(じつ)に, ★
Meaning “really”
実 (じつ) means “real”
- 実においしい: really tasty
大変 (たいへん), ★★
Meaning “really”
- 大変申し訳ありませんでした: I’m really sorry
- 大変驚(おど)いた: I was really surprised
この上(うえ)なく, ★
Meaning “best/cannot be better/second to none”
It literally means “nothing is above this”, and is often used to describe your extreme happiness/gratitude. It is also used as an adjective “この上ない” and usually emphasises one’s happiness/joy, etc. One exception is the phrase “迷惑(めいわく)この上ない” or “この上なく迷惑だ”, which means “nuisance that can’t be more annoying, i.e. extremely annoying” and uses この上なく in an ironical way.
- この上なく嬉(うれ)しい/幸(しあわ)せです “I can’t be happier (than now)”
- この上ない幸(しあわ)せ: “happiness that can’t be better”
すこぶる, ★★
Meaning “very”
It is often used with words that mean “be fine, going/doing well” (e.g. 元気, 順調)
- すこぶる順調です。”I’m doing very well”
物(もの)凄（すご）く, ★★
Meaning “exceptionally, unbelievably”
More intense than 凄(すご)く
- 物凄く疲れた: I’m unbelievably tired
最高に (さいこうに), ★★
Meaning: “supelatively”
最高 consists of “最 (most)” and “高 (high)” and means “best/superative”.
- 最高においしいラーメン “superatively tasty ramen”
- 最高につまらない “superatively borinig”
Casual/Slang Words (★★★+)
めちゃ/めっちゃ, ★★★
Meaning “really”
- {めちゃ/めっちゃ}おいしい: really tasty
めちゃくちゃ, ★★★
Meaning “extremely”
More intense than めちゃ
- めちゃくちゃおいしい: extremely tasty
凄（すご）く/すげえ ★★★/★★★★
Meaning “really, amazingly”
すげえ is more casual and masculine than 凄い. Instead of 凄く, some young people use 凄い as an intensifier to modify an adjective, but technically this is grammatically incorrect.
- {凄く/凄い/すげえ}おいしい: amazingly tasty
普通(ふつう)に ★★★
Meaning “honestly/really/seriously/for real”
While 普通(ふつう)に usually means “normally”, as it can mean “honestly/really/seriously/for real” in casual contexts. In my opinion, the rationale behind this sense is that 普通 often suggests something is seriously (great) in a “standard” way (e.g. no exaggeration/flattery), from “standard” perspectives (not “great as …”). For instance, if someone says 普通に興味ある, that means “I’m actually very interested (not just saying)” and 普通に嬉しい is “I’m honestly so happy”.
- 普通においしい means “very tasty actually (as a general meal)”
超 (ちょう), ★★★★
Meaning “super, so”
超 (こ)える means “go beyond”
- 超おいしい: super tasty
超絶 (ちょうぜつ), ★★★★★
Meaning “super, wicked”
Sounds more casual/younger than 超
- 超絶かわいい: super cute
マジ, ★★★★
Meaning “really, so”
One of the most common Japanese slang words
- マジ疲（つか）れた: I’m so tired
- マジかわいい: so cute
ガチ, ★★★★★
Meaning “seriously”
Sounds more casual yet serious than マジ; See also: Meanings and Differences of “ガチ (gachi)” and “マジ (maji)” in Japanese
- ガチ疲（つか）れた: I’m so tired
やばい, ★★★★★
Meaning “really, amazingly”
やばい is usually used as an adjective, but some young people use it as an adverb (intensifier). Note that this usage may sound a little unnatural/unacceptable for some native Japanese speakers, especially those who are particular about language (like me).
- やばいおいしい: amazingly tasty
鬼のように/鬼 (おに) ★★★/★★★★
Meaning “extremely, like the devil”
鬼 (Oni) is a Japanese mythical creature, often translated as “devil” in English.
- {鬼のように/鬼}疲(つか)れた: I’m so tired
- {鬼のように/鬼}働 (はたら)いた: I worked like the devil
- 鬼かわいい: so cute
See also:
アホみたいに/馬鹿(ばか)みたいに, ★★★★★
Meaning “like crazy”
アホ/馬鹿 means “stupid”, the phrase literally means “like crazy/stupid”. Therefore, this phrase is often used negatively (but not always) . アホ usually contains a lighter tone like “silly” compared to 馬鹿 (ばか, “stupid”), especially in Kansai (i.e. people from Kansai tend to find 馬鹿 more offensive than people from Tokyo).
- アホみたいに高(たか)い時計(とけい): “expensive watch like crazy”
- 馬鹿みたいに混(こ)んでる “crowded like crazy”
- アホみたいに安(やす)くてうまい “cheap and tasty like crazy”
クソ, ★★★★★
Meaning “af”
クソ means “sh*t” and is used either positively or negatively.
- クソうまい: tasty af
- クソ疲れた: tired af
激 (げき): ★★★★
Used in certain phrases, as follows:
- 激ウマ: “really tasty”
- 激マズ: “taste really bad”
- 激辛 (から): “really spicy
- 激太(ぶと)り: “become really fat”
- 激変(へん): “change dramatically”
- 激レア: “really rare/precious”
- 激安 (やす): “really cheap”
死ぬほど, ★★★★
Meaning: “af/like crazy/badly”
It literally means “as if one would die”.
- 死ぬほど~したい: I want to do ~ so badly
- 死ぬほど疲れた: I am tired af
- 死ぬほど多い “so many like crazy”
驚くほど/ビックリするほど, ★★★
Meaning: “surprisingly”
It literally means “to the extent that one gets surprised”. ビックリ sounds more casual than 驚く.
- 驚くするほど安い: very cheap to the extent that I’ve got surprised.
- ビックリするほど甘い: very sweat to the extent that I’ve got surprised
ぐうの音も出ないほど/ぐう , ★★★/★★★★★
Meaning: “speechlessly”
Literally “to the extent that even the sound of ‘guu’” does not come out (of one’s mouth)”, i.e. “to the extent that you’ve got lost for words”. On the internet, it is sometimes abbreviated as just “ぐう” (see the second example below), but this usage sounds more like an idiosyncratic internet jargon (and the abbreviated form is getting a little old-fashioned in my opinion).
- ぐうの音も出ないほど完璧なゴール: “a perfect goal to the extent that I’ve got lost for words”
- ぐうかわいい (= ぐうの音も出ないほど)可愛い “very cute to the extent that I’ve got lost for words”
Learn more about this word/usage at:
Kansai Dialect
ほんま（に）, ★★
meaning “really”
It is almost equivalent to 本当に in standard Japanese
- ほんま/ほんまに疲れた: I’m really tired
エラい, ★★★
meaning “really/more than usual”
- エラい怒られた: I was really scolded
- 今日はえらい寒(さむ)いなぁ: Today is really cold
- えらい元気（げんき）やな: you are so/unusually energetic
See Also
Leave a Reply