Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "しります" vs "いつも"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
しります
しります (shirimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
いつも
いつも (itsumo)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both しります and いつも are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
しります (しります (shirimasu)) represents "to know" (Level: N5) and typically represents The polite form of 知る.
On the other hand, いつも (いつも (itsumo)) translates to "always, usually, habitually" (Level: N5) and is used for Adverb of frequency. Indicates something happens all the time or habitually without exception.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "しります"
彼の名前をよくしりません。
I don't know his name well.
Bilingual Sentence for "いつも"
私はいつも朝ごはんを食べます。
I always eat breakfast.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "彼の名前をよくしりません。" (Meaning: "I don't know his name well.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "しります" fits here because it represents "to know" in the context: "I don't know his name well.".