Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "大変" vs "いってらっしゃい"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
大変
たいへん (taihen)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
いってらっしゃい
いってらっしゃい (itterasshai)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 大変 and いってらっしゃい are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
大変 (たいへん (taihen)) represents "tough, difficult, serious (na-adjective); very, extremely (adverb)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Can be an な-adjective.
On the other hand, いってらっしゃい (いってらっしゃい (itterasshai)) translates to "Go and come back safely; See you later (response to 'ittekimasu')" (Level: N5) and is used for Said by those remaining behind to someone who is leaving. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "大変"
この仕事は時間がかかって大変です。
This job takes a long time and is tough.
Bilingual Sentence for "いってらっしゃい"
父が「いってきます」と言うと、母は「いってらっしゃい」と答えます。
When my father says "Ittekimasu," my mother replies "Itterasshai."
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この仕事は時間がかかって ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "This job takes a long time and is tough.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "大変" fits here because it represents "tough, difficult, serious (na-adjective); very, extremely (adverb)" in the context: "This job takes a long time and is tough.".