Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "大変", "一生懸命", "なかなか", "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
一生懸命
いっしょうけんめい (isshoukenmei)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
なかなか
なかなか (nakanaka)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
至って
いたって (itatte)
N3 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "very" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "大変", "一生懸命", "なかなか", "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.
- 一生懸命 (いっしょうけんめい (isshoukenmei) - Level: N4): Maps to "very hard, with all one's might, diligently" and is used when An adverb used to express putting maximum effort into something. Often used with verbs like 勉強する.
- 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.
- 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'..
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 "一生懸命"
彼は一生懸命日本語を勉強しています。
He is studying Japanese very hard.
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 "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.".