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Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "大変", "なかなか", "幼い", "大いに", "至って"

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

Japanese Option A

大変

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

なかなか

なかなか (nakanaka)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

幼い

おさない (osanai)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

大いに

おおいに (ōini)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option E

至って

いたって (itatte)
N3 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "very" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "大変", "なかなか", "幼い", "大いに", "至って" based on context.
  • 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.
  • なかなか (なかなか (nakanaka) - Level: N3): Maps to "very; considerably; easily (with negative); more than expected" and is used when Refers to a situation being highly considerably, more than expected, or with negative verbs, expresses that something does not happen easily.
  • 幼い (おさない (osanai) - Level: N3): Maps to "very young, childish, immature" and is used when Describes someone or something as very young or immature. Can apply to age, appearance, or behavior..
  • 大いに (おおいに (ōini) - Level: N3): Maps to "very; greatly; largely; much; to a large extent" and is used when An adverb emphasizing a large degree or extent. Often used in formal or literary contexts, but also in daily conversation to express strong feelings or enthusiasm..
  • 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'..
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
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 "なかなか"
システムの初期ローディング遅延のバグ原因は複雑であり、シニアエンジニアであっても_______解決策が見出せませんでした。
Because the cause of the initial loading delay bug of the system was complex, even the senior engineer could not easily find a solution.
Context for "幼い"
彼は見た目は大人だが、考え方がまだ幼い。
He looks like an adult, but his way of thinking is still childish.
Context for "大いに"
彼の意見は大いに参考になった。
His opinion was very helpful.
Context for "至って"
彼女の態度は至って普通だった。
Her attitude was extremely ordinary.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "日本語の勉強は ___ ですが、楽しいです。" (Meaning: "Studying Japanese is difficult, but fun.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "大変" is correct here because it represents "very, terribly; difficult, tough; serious, awful" in the context: "Studying Japanese is difficult, but fun.".

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