Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Sudden" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "sudden", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
急な
きゅうな (kyuu na)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
頓死
とんし (tonshi)
N1 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "sudden" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 急な and 頓死.
In Japanese, 急な (きゅうな (kyuu na)) is typically associated with "sudden, urgent, steep" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents A な-adjective that can describe a sudden event.
On the other hand, 頓死 (とんし (tonshi)) maps to "sudden death; instantaneous death" (Syllabus Level: N1) and represents Refers to death that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. Often used in medical or news contexts, or when describing the sudden death of animals or insects. It carries a sense of abruptness.. A literal translation of "sudden" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "急な"
急な雨が降り始めました。
A sudden rain started to fall.
Bilingual Context for "頓死"
その選手は試合中に心臓発作で頓死した。
The athlete died suddenly from a heart attack during the game.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: " ＿＿＿ 雨が降り始めました。" (Meaning: "A sudden rain started to fall.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "急な" fits here because it means "sudden, urgent, steep" in the context of: "A sudden rain started to fall.". "頓死" represents "sudden death; instantaneous death".