🦅 Project Eagle
Synonym Comparison

The Nuance Difference: "大変" vs "授業"

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

授業

じゅぎょう (jugyō)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

In Japanese, both 大変 and 授業 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, 授業 (じゅぎょう (jugyō)) translates to "class, lesson" (Level: N4) and is used for Refers to a school class or lesson. Often used with verbs like 受ける. 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 "授業"
明日の授業は午前9時に始まります。
Tomorrow's class starts at 9 AM.

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.".