What does “sugu” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “sugu” to mean ‘soon’, ‘immediately’, or such in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain its definition, meanings, and usages with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “sugu” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “sugu”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “sugu”.
- sugu – すぐ : an adverb meaning ‘soon’, ‘immediately’, or such in Japanese.
Native speakers use this adverb to say that they are very close to the moment something happens. So, its usage is very similar to those of the English adverbs above. In addition, however, Japanese people sometimes use this adverb to mean ‘easy’. A task they can finish soon, for example, can be interpreted as something easy. So, this usage is also understandable, I think.
“Sugu” has the kanji expression, “直ぐ”, but this is not that widely used. So, we can focus on the hiragana expression.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear. Then, let me explain how to use this adverb through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “soon” in Japanese
natsu ga sugu ki masu ne – 夏がすぐ来ますね (なつがすぐきますね)
Summer is coming soon.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- natsu – 夏 (なつ) : a noun meaning ‘summer’ in Japanese.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “natsu” to make the subject in the sentence.
- ki – 来 (き) : one conjugation of the verb, “kuru”, which means ‘to come’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form. In the example, this is used after “ki” to make it sound polite.
- ne – ね : a sentence-ending particle used to ask for agreement softly. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to ask for agreement softly. This has not been reflected in the English sentence, but could be translated as “doesn’t it”, “don’t you think so”, or such.
This is a typical usage of “sugu”. This is an adverb, so can work almost anywhere in a sentence to say “soon”.
Example #2: another usage of “sugu”
boku wa sugu ie ni kaeru – 僕はすぐ家に帰る (ぼくはすぐいえにかえる)
I will go home soon.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- 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.
- ie – 家 (いえ) : a noun meaning ‘house’ or ‘home’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “ie” to say where “boku” will go soon.
- kaeru – 帰る (かえる) : a verb meaning ‘to go back’, ‘to go home’, or such in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “sugu”. When we want to say “soon” in Japanese, anyway, this adverb is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “sugu”. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- sugu – すぐ : an adverb meaning ‘soon’, ‘immediately’, or such in Japanese. Native speakers use this adverb to say that they are very close to the moment something happens. So, its usage is very similar to those of the English adverbs. In addition, however, Japanese people sometimes use this to mean ‘easy’. A task they can finish soon, for example, can be interpreted as something easy. So, this usage is also understandable, I think. This has the kanji expression, “直ぐ”, but this is not that widely used. So, we can focus on the hiragana expression.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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