🦅 Project Eagle
Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "とても", "大変", "至って", "非常に"

All represent the core concept "very", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

とても

とても (totemo)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

大変

たいへん (taihen)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

至って

いたって (itatte)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

非常に

ひじょうに (hijō ni)
N3 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "very" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "とても", "大変", "至って", "非常に" based on context.
  • とても (とても (totemo) - Level: N5): Maps to "very, extremely" and is used when 形容詞や動詞の程度を強調する副詞です。肯定文でよく使われます。.
  • 大変 (たいへん (taihen) - Level: N4): Maps to "very, terribly; difficult, tough; serious, awful" and is used when Can function as an adverb.
  • 至って (いたって (itatte) - Level: N3): Maps to "very; extremely; exceedingly" and is used when An adverb used to emphasize a high degree of something, often implying a surprising or unexpected extent. It's a slightly more formal expression than 'とても'..
  • 非常に (ひじょうに (hijō ni) - Level: N3): Maps to "very, extremely, exceedingly" and is used when An adverb used to express a high degree of something. More formal and stronger than 'とても.
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "とても"
この映画はとても面白いです。
This movie is very interesting.
Context for "大変"
日本語の勉強は大変ですが、楽しいです。
Studying Japanese is difficult, but fun.
Context for "至って"
彼女の態度は至って普通だった。
Her attitude was extremely ordinary.
Context for "非常に"
この問題は非常に難しいです。
This problem is extremely difficult.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "この映画は ___ 面白いです。" (Meaning: "This movie is very interesting.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "とても" is correct here because it represents "very, extremely" in the context: "This movie is very interesting.".

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