Do you know how to say “many” in Japanese other than “多い (おおい)”? In fact, there are more than 40 words and expressions to say “many” in Japanese as in the case of English (*). This article presents a comprehensive list of these (from basic to highly advanced yet important) words with brief explanations and example sentences provided to each entry! Note that since there are neither countable nor uncountable nouns in the Japanese grammar, “many” and “much” are basically translated to the same word in Japanese.
(* Indeed, there are “dozens of” English words and phrases that are nearly equivalent to “many/much”. To get a feel for how “copious” the number of such words is, you may have a quick look at my previous post “ManyやMuch以外で「沢山」や「多い」を表す英語表現４０++” , which provides a comprehensive list of these words for Japanese English learners.)
Adjectives (na-adj and i-adj)
1. 多い (おおい, ooi)
多い is one of the most common words to say “many/much” in Japanese. When it modifies a noun, it’s usually used as “多くの”.
Examples
東京に住んでいる人は多い/多くの人が東京に住んでいる
There are many people who live in Tokyo./ A lot of people live in Tokyo.
2. 数多くの (かずおおくの, kazuookuno)
数多くの is a synonym of 多くの and means “a great number of ~”. It sounds slightly larger than 多くの, and usually used in writing.
Examples
数多くの人が東京に住んでいる
A great number of people live in Tokyo.
3. 数々の (かずかずの, kazukazuno)
数々の is a synonym of 数多くの, and means “numerous” and “various”.
Examples
彼は数々の賞を獲得した
He has achieved numerous (and various) awards
4. 沢山 (たくさん, takusan)
沢山 is also a very common word meaning “a great number/amount of” and sounds more than “多い”. It is often written in hiragana, too. When it modifies a noun, it’s usually used as “沢山の” or just “沢山” rather than “沢山な”. It can also be used as an adverb and modify a verb.
Examples
たくさんの人がいる/たくさん人がいる/人が沢山いる
There are many people.
沢山勉強した
I studied a lot.
5. ぎょうさん (gyousan)
A very casual way of saying “沢山”, often used in the Kansai region. It is usually used without any particle.
Examples
ぎょうさん人がいる/人がぎょうさんいる
There are many people.
ぎょうさん勉強した
I studied a lot.
盛り沢山 (もりだくさん, moridakusan)
盛り沢山 is a common hyperbole meaning “various and copious”, and usually used as “something が盛り沢山” to advertise new events, products, etc.
この新しいスマホには新しい機能が盛り沢山！
This new smartphone has a variety of new functions!
6. いっぱい (ippai)
いっぱい is also a very common word to describe the amount/number of something and usually used as “いっぱい + いる/ある”. It can sound casual and a bit childish compared to 沢山, but not necessarily. When used as “いっぱい（だ）” or “いっぱい + になる”, it usually means “be full”. In kanji, it can also be written as “一杯”, but since 一杯 can also mean “one cup/glass of ~”, some people avoid using it for clarity.
Examples
お宝がいっぱいある
There are a great number of treasures.
お腹がいっぱいだ
My stomach is full
7. 大量 (たいりょう, tairyou)
大量 means “a large amount/number of ~”. It is usually used to describe the amount/number of things or animals, but not humans. The common usage is “大量の + noun” or “something が大量にある”
Examples
この研究を行うには、大量のデータが必要だ
It requires a large amount of data to conduct this research.
買ったけど読んでいない本が家に大量にある
There are numerous books at home that I have bought but haven’t read.
8. 大勢の (おおぜいの, oozeino)
大勢の is usually used to describe a great number of people and usually used in writing.
Examples
大勢の人がここに集まった
A great number of people gathered here.
9. 豊富な (ほうふな, houhuna)
豊富な means “abundant”, “copious” or “plentiful”. It usually connotes that something is abundant in quantity and variety.
Examples
オーストラリアには豊富な資源がある
There are abundant and various resources in Australia.
あの人は知識が豊富だ
He has copious knowledge.
10. 色々な (いろいろな, iroirona)
色々な means “various” in English and more often used in writing in comparison to the next word 色んな.
Examples
東京には色々な人がいる
There are various people in Tokyo.
人が日本語を勉強する理由は色々だ
The reason why people study Japanese varies/is various.
11. 色んな (いろんな, ironna)
色んな is a casual way of saying 色々な and more often used in speech.
12. 様々な (さまざまな, samazamana)
様々な is a synonym of “色々な”, and often used in writing.
Examples
東京には様々な人がいる
There are various people in Tokyo.
人が日本語を勉強する理由は様々だ
The reason why people study Japanese varies/is various.
13. 莫大な (ばくだいな, bakudaina)
莫大な means “an enormous amount of ~”, and emphasises the amount of something e.g., time, money, effort. When used to describe the number of something, 莫大な数の is often used. It’s rather used in writing but not too formal.
Examples
留学するには莫大な費用がかかる
It costs an enormous amount of money to study abroad.
莫大な数の学生がキャンパスにいる
There are an enormous number of students on campus.
14. 膨大な (ぼうだいな, boudaina)
膨大な is a synonym of 莫大な. 莫大な sounds slightly larger and more boundless than 膨大な. It’s often used in writing.
Examples
留学するには膨大な費用がかかる。
It costs an enormous amount of money to study abroad.
膨大な数の学生がキャンパスにいる。
There are an enormous number of students on campus.
15. たっぷり(tappuri)
たっぷり means “a sufficient/abundant amount of~”, and is often used to describe the amount of time/money/food. It is usually used as “たっぷりの” when modifying a noun, otherwise “たっぷり + ある”.
Examples
あの大学にはお金がたっぷりある/あの大学にはたっぷりのお金がある
There is a sufficient amount of money in that university.
まだ時間はたっぷり残っている
Still, there is an abundant amount of time left.
16. ふさふさ (husahusa)
ふさふさ means “bushy” or “fluffy” and is usually used to describe a large amount of hair or something hairy. It is often used in comparison to ハゲ (hage), a derogatory word for “a bald person”.
Examples
彼は７０歳なのにまだ（髪が）ふさふさだ
Although he’s 70 years old, he still has a lot of hair.
17. 無数の (むすうの, musuuno)
無数の means “countless” and describes something uncountable. It is often used in writing.
空を見上げると、無数の星が見えた
Looking up at the sky, I saw countless stars.
18. いくつもの (ikutsumo)
いくつもの is a synonym of 多くの and sounds larger than 多くの.
Examples
いくつもの苦難を克服した
I have overcome a great number of hardships.
19. 十分/充分 (じゅうぶん, jyuubun)
十分/充分 means “enough”. The kanji 充分 is used when one perceives something is enough, whereas 十分 denotes that there is a large enough number/amount of something. To describe the number/amount of something, it is used as “十分な数/量の” meaning “large enough number/amount of ~”.
Examples
十分/充分な睡眠を取った
I got enough sleep
そこには十分な数の人がいた
A large enough number of people are there.
まだ充分な休みが取れていない
(I feel) I haven’t taken enough rest yet.
20. 十二分 (じゅうにぶん, jyuunibun)
十二分 means “more than 十分”, as 十二 (12) is larger than 十 (10). It is used as either ”十二分な” or “十二分の”.
Examples
我々はリスクを減らすために、十二分の/十二分な対策を取った
We took more-than-enough measures to mitigate risk.
21. 大多数の (だいたすうの, daitasuuno)
大多数の means “the majority of ~”, and is used for people. It is often used in writing.
Examples
大多数の人はその意見に賛成した。
The majority of people agreed with the opinion.
22. 大部分の (だいぶぶんの, daibubunno)
大部分の also means “the most (part) of ~”, and is used for things and people.
Examples
大部分のお金が使われた
Most of the money was used.
23. 大抵の (たいていの, taiteino)
大抵の means ‘most ~” and is used for things and people.
Examples
大抵の人はそれを知らない
Most people do not know it.
大抵の場合、それはあまり問題にならない
In most cases, it does not become an issue.
24. 大体の (だいたいの, daitaino)
大体の is a synonym of 大抵の. Although they are mostly interchangeable, 大体の sounds more “rough” in terms of the number, as it also means “about”/”approximately”.
Examples
大体１万円
About 10000 yen
大体の人がその式に出席する
Most people attend the ceremony.
25. 大概の (たいがいの, taigaino)
大概の is a synonym of 大抵の, and it is particularly used to describe the most part of the ordinary things/people.
Examples
大概の事は家で出来る
I can do most of the ordinary things at home.
大概の人はそれに騙された
Most ordinary people were tricked by it.
26. 過多 (かた, kata)
過多の means “too many/much”, and is often put after a noun.
Examples
現代では、多くの人が情報過多によりストレスを感じている
Nowadays, many people feel stressed because there is too much information.
27. 山積み (やまずみ, yamazumi)
It literally means “mountain pile” and figuratively describes piles of things. It is often as “something + が山積みだ”.
Examples
解決する課題が山積みだ
There are piles of problems to solve.
Figurative Expressions
1. 山のように (やまのように)
山のように literally means “like a mountain”, and means “piles of” or “tons of”.
Examples
課題が山のようにある
I have tons of assignments (like a mountain).
2. 数えきれないほど (かぞえきれないほど)
数えきれないほど literally means “as if you cannot count it”, and means “countless”.
Examples
彼は数えきれないほどの記録を持っている
He holds a countless number of records.
3. 星の数ほど （ほしのかずほど）
星の数ほど literally means “as many as stars (in the sky)” and describes something countless.
Examples
東京にはラーメン屋さんが星の数ほど ある
In Tokyo, there are a countless number of ramen restaurants (like stars in the sky).
4. 目移りするほど （めうつりするほど）
目移りするほど literally means “to the extent that one’s eyes are attracted to many things”.
Examples
目移りするほどの商品が棚に並んでいる
A great number of products are lining the shelves (to the extent that we’re attracted to all of them).
5. 掃いて捨てるほど （はいてすてるほど）
掃いて捨てるほど literally means “as if you sweep and throw away”. This is rather a casual expression and usually means ” there is an unduly large number of something/someone”. It often contains a negative/ironical tone.
Examples
家にいらない服が掃いて捨てるほどある
There are tons of unnecessary clothes in my house
今日では、大学を卒業した人は履いて捨ているほどいる。
Nowadays, there are a more-than-enough number of people who graduate from university.
6. 腐るほど (くさるほど)
腐るほど literally means “as if something gets rotten”. This is a casual expression and usually contains a negative/ironical connotation like “sh*tloads of”.
Examples
あの会社の社長はお金を腐るほど持ってるだろう
That company’s president would have sh*tloads of money I suppose.
7. 嫌と言うほど （いやというほど）
嫌と言うほど literally means “as if you say that you hate (it)”. It is used when something occurs countless time to the extent that you feel fed up with them.
Examples
これまでに失敗を嫌と言うほど経験してきた
I have experienced failures countless times so far.
8. あり余るほど （ありあまるほど）
あり余るほど literally means “as if there will be remnants” and means something is more than enough.
Examples
我々はあり余るほどの証拠が見つかった
We’ve found more-than-enough evidence.
9. 湯水のように (ゆみずのように)
湯水のように literally means “like hot water”. It is often used when one uses something extravagantly, like hot water in the shower.
Examples
彼はカジノで湯水のようにお金を使った。
He spent an excessive amount of his money extravagantly (like hot water) in the casino.
10. 雨後の筍のよう (うごのたけのこのよう)
雨後の筍のよう literally means “like bamboo shoots after rain”. Figuratively it means ‘a plethora of similar things happenning one after another’, usually with a negative connotation that there are too many. See also List of Japanese Words Related to Rain (雨, ame)
Examples
東京ででタピオカの店(みせ)が雨後の筍のように増(ふ)えた
In Tokyo, the number of bubble tea stores has increased like bamboo shoots after rain
11. 枚挙にいとまがない (まいきょにいとまがない)
枚挙にいとまがない literally means “it takes forever to finish counting”. It is similar to “just to name a few” in English, as it is often used after you list a couple of examples.
Examples
授業、飲み会、就職面接など、コロナの影響でオンライン化したものは枚挙にいとまがない。
Like classes, drinking parties, job interviews, etc., a countless number of things have been moved online because of the coronavirus.
12. 芋を洗うよう (いもをあらうよう)
芋を洗うよう literally means “as if you wash (stir) potatoes (in a saucepan)”. It is particularly used to describe a very crowded place, like a market or public swimming pool in summer.
Examples
プールに人が芋を洗うように人が沢山いた
In the swimming pool, there are numerous people (like stirred potatoes in a saucepan).
13. 桁外れ (けたはずれ)
桁外れ means “digits of numbers are different” (e.g., 10 vs. 100). It figuratively indicates that something is larger than the ordinary number/amount, i.e., “extraordinary”.
Examples
彼のパワーは桁外れだ
His power is much larger than ordinary/extraordinary.
Phrases
1. 十中八九 (じゅっちゅうはっく, jyuttyuu hakku)
十中八九 literally means “8 or 9 out of 10”, and figuratively means “mostly” or “most likely”.
Examples
彼が言う事は十中八九嘘だ
What he says is most likely a lie.
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