What does “aikawarazu” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “aikawarazu” to mean ‘as usual’, ‘as always’, or ‘as ever’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its grammatical components. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “aikawarazu” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “aikawarazu”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “aikawarazu”.
- aikawarazu – 相変わらず (あいかわらず) : an adverb meaning ‘as usual’, ‘as always’, ‘as ever’, or such in Japanese.
Native speakers use this adverb when they refer to a state or situation which remains the same as usual, as always, or as ever.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. To understand this adverb more clearly, however, let me explain its grammatical components in detail, one by one.
Grammatical components of “aikawarazu”
“Aikawarazu” consists of the following three components:
- ai – 相 (あい) : a prefix working before a verb to emphasize its meaning or to adjust its sound.
- kawara – 変わら (かわら) : one conjugation of the verb, “kawaru”, which means ‘to change’ in Japanese. It has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- zu – ず : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “nu”, which is used to deny the meaning of its preceding word. In this case, this is used after “kawara” to deny its meaning, ‘to change’.
From these three components, we can understand that “aikawarazu” literally means ‘not to change’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think.
When we meet new Japanese words, we should check their grammatical components in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, grammatical components tell us a lot about the meanings of the words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “aikawarazu” through the detailed check above. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “same as usual” in Japanese
「aikawarazu desu」 to boku wa it ta – 「相変わらずです」と僕は言った (「あいかわらずです」とぼくはいった)
“Same as usual,” I said.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun, adjective, or adverb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “aikawarazu” to make it sound polite.
- to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after “aikawarazu desu” to indicate what “boku” said.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- it – 言っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iu”, which means ‘to say’, ‘to tell’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.
This is a typical usage of “aikawarazu”. In this example, it works together with “desu” to sound polite. When we want to say “same as usual”, this adverb is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “aikawarazu”
watashi no musume wa aikawarazu isogashii – 私の娘は相変わらず忙しい (わたしのむすめはあいかわらずいそがしい)
My daughter is busy as always.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
- musume – 娘 (むすめ) : a noun meaning ‘daughter’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- isogashii – 忙しい (いそがしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘busy’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “aikawarazu”. It is an adverb, so can work almost anywhere in a sentence to say “as always” in Japanese.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “aikawarazu” in detail based on its grammatical components. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- aikawarazu – 相変わらず (あいかわらず) : an adverb meaning ‘as usual’, ‘as always’, ‘as ever’, or such in Japanese. This adverb literally means ‘not to change’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. Native speakers use this adverb when they refer to a state or situation which remains the same as usual, as always, or as ever.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
Learn more vocabulary on the app!
You can improve your Japanese vocabulary with our flashcards.
