Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "先月", "去年", "やっと", "ようやく"
All represent the core concept "last", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
先月
せんげつ (sengetsu)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
去年
きょねん (kyonen)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
やっと
やっと (yatto)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
ようやく
ようやく (youyaku)
N3 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "last" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "先月", "去年", "やっと", "ようやく" based on context.
- 先月 (せんげつ (sengetsu) - Level: N5): Maps to "last month" and is used when Refers to the month immediately preceding the current one. Used when talking about past events..
- 去年 (きょねん (kyonen) - Level: N5): Maps to "last year" and is used when Refers to the year immediately preceding the current one..
- やっと (やっと (yatto) - Level: N4): Maps to "at last, finally" and is used when Adverb. Expresses relief or satisfaction that something difficult or long-awaited has finally happened or been completed..
- ようやく (ようやく (youyaku) - Level: N3): Maps to "at last, finally, at length" and is used when Similar to ついに, but often emphasizes the effort or difficulty involved in reaching the outcome, or a slight delay. Usually implies a positive or neutral outcome..
Context for "先月"
先月、旅行に行きました。
I went on a trip last month.
Context for "去年"
去年、日本へ旅行に行きました。
I traveled to Japan last year.
Context for "やっと"
長い時間待って、やっとバスが来ました。
After waiting for a long time, the bus finally came.
Context for "ようやく"
渋滞を抜けて、ようやく目的地に到着した。
After getting through the traffic jam, we finally arrived at our destination.
Synonym Mastery Challenge
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: " ＿＿＿ 、旅行に行きました。" (Meaning: "I went on a trip last month.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "先月" is correct here because it represents "last month" in the context: "I went on a trip last month.".