LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N5Lesson notes · Oct 2, 2026

Very in Japanese: とても, すごく, 非常ひじょうに, めっちゃ and when to use each

The safest way to say "very" in Japanese is とても (とても高たかい, "very expensive"); use すごく with friends, 非常ひじょうに in formal writing, and めっちゃ or 超ちょう only in casual slang.

English has one word, "very", that works everywhere. Japanese has a whole ladder of them, and the choice tells the listener how formal you are, how old you sound, and sometimes where you grew up. The meaning barely changes between rungs. The register changes a lot.

The basics

What is the default way to say "very" in Japanese?

とても. It is neutral, polite enough for a stranger, and natural in both speech and writing. When you are unsure, use it.

このラーメンはとてもおいしいです。 — This ramen is very delicious. (polite, safe anywhere) 今日きょうはとても暑あついですね。 — It's very hot today, isn't it? (polite small talk) 彼かれはとても親切しんせつな人ひとです。 — He is a very kind person. (polite, works with na-adjectives too)

The position is always the same: とても goes directly before the word it strengthens, whether that is an adjective (とても高たかい), a na-adjective (とても静しずか), or a verb phrase that describes a feeling (とても楽たのしみです). For how い- and な-adjectives behave, see i-adjectives vs na-adjectives.

In kana, the word is written とても (hiragana). It is rarely written in kanji today, so "very in Japanese hiragana" is simply とても.

How do you say "very" in casual Japanese?

すごく (or the stretched すっごく for extra punch). It comes from the adjective すごい ("amazing, terrible, awesome"), turned into an adverb by changing い to く.

このラーメン、すごくおいしい! — This ramen is really good! (casual, with a friend) 昨日きのう、すっごく疲つかれた。 — I was so tired yesterday. (casual, the small っ adds emphasis) その映画えいが、すごく面白おもしろかったよ。 — That movie was really fun. (casual to friendly)

すごく is the word you will hear most from friends, coworkers on a break, and teachers who want to sound relaxed. It is not rude, but it is not what you put in a business email.

Is there a formal version?

Yes: 非常ひじょうに (ひじょうに). It is stiff, a little bookish, and perfect for reports, speeches, news and customer-facing writing.

非常ひじょうに重要じゅうような問題もんだいです。 — This is a very important problem. (formal, written or presentation style) 非常ひじょうに残念ざんねんです。 — I am extremely sorry to hear that. (formal, business)

Another formal option is 大変たいへん (たいへん). It also means "very" in polite speech (大変たいへんお世話せわになりました, "thank you very much for everything"), and it doubles as an adjective meaning "tough" or "serious". We come back to that below.

Beyond the basics

What are めっちゃ and 超ちょう, and can you use them?

Both are casual intensifiers, closer to "super" or "totally" than "very".

めっちゃ started in the Kansai dialect and has spread across the whole country through TV and young people's speech. It is now normal among friends everywhere, though it still feels slightly young and very informal.

超ちょう (ちょう, "super") is slang from the same casual world. It sticks directly onto the next word.

このカフェ、めっちゃいい感かんじ! — This cafe has such a good vibe! (casual, friends) 昨日きのうの試験しけん、超ちょう難むずかしかった。 — Yesterday's exam was super hard. (slang, young speakers) それ、めっちゃ分わかる。 — I totally get that. (casual, agreeing with a friend)

Rule of thumb: if you would not say "super" or "totally" in English in that situation, do not use めっちゃ or 超ちょう in Japanese. They are great with friends and wrong with a boss or a customer.

What about かなり and けっこう?

These are not "very" exactly. They are "fairly" and "quite", and the difference matters.

かなり means "considerably, quite a lot". It is stronger than "pretty" but a notch below とても. It sounds a bit analytical, like you measured it.

けっこう means "more than I expected". It carries surprise, and it is casual.

この問題もんだいはかなり難むずかしいです。 — This problem is quite difficult. (polite, you have judged it carefully) この店みせ、けっこう人気にんきなんだね。 — This place is pretty popular, huh. (casual, "more than I thought") けっこう歩あるいたね。 — We walked quite a bit, didn't we. (casual, a surprised "that was more than expected")

The English "pretty" in "pretty good" fits けっこう well. For other ways Japanese handles amounts, see how to say "a lot" in Japanese.

How do you say "not very" in Japanese?

With あまり + a negative, not とても. あまり〜ない is the pattern for "not very" and "not much".

この店みせはあまり高たかくないです。 — This shop is not very expensive. (polite) 日本語にほんごはあまり話はなせません。 — I can't speak much Japanese. (polite, modest) あまり好すきじゃない。 — I don't like it very much. (casual, softer than saying "I don't like it")

あまり needs a negative in standard Japanese, and it always makes the sentence softer than a direct no. It belongs to the same family as the words in Japanese frequency adverbs (よく, ときどき, あまり, ぜんぜん), where the same "needs a negative" behavior shows up.

What is the trap with とても and negatives?

This is the single most common mistake. In English you can say "not very good". In Japanese, とても + negative does not mean "not very". It means "there is no way I can possibly".

こんなに多おおいと、とても食たべられません。 — With this much, I can't possibly eat it all. (polite, "no way") あの人ひとには、とても勝かてない。 — There's no way I could beat that person. (casual, "not a chance") とても信しんじられない。 — I just can't believe it. (casual, strong disbelief)

So とても〜ない is not a weaker negative. It is a much stronger one, almost "absolutely not". Use あまり〜ない for "not very" and save とても〜ない for "no way". This pattern is usually paired with potential verbs (食たべられない, 勝かてない, 信しんじられない).

How is 大変たいへん different from とても?

大変たいへん has two jobs. As an adverb it means "very" in polite or formal speech. As a na-adjective it means "tough, serious, a lot of trouble".

大変たいへんありがとうございました。 — Thank you very much. (formal, business or service) 仕事しごとが大変たいへんです。 — My work is tough. (polite, the adjective meaning) それは大変たいへんですね。 — That sounds rough. (polite, sympathy)

If you hear 大変たいへん after someone shares bad news, it is sympathy, not "very".

How does "very" sound in anime?

Anime has a clear sorting: polite, restrained characters use とても; energetic or tough characters use すごく, すげー, めっちゃ and 超ちょう.

すげー! — Awesome! (casual, rough and masculine, a shortened すごい) めっちゃ強つよい! — So strong! (casual, often a Kansai-flavored character) 超ちょうかわいい! — Super cute! (slang, very common with high-energy characters) 非常ひじょうに興味深きょうみぶかいですね。 — That is very interesting. (formal, the cold, scholarly character)

Notice how the intensifier alone characterizes the speaker. A character who says 非常ひじょうに before every sentence is almost always a doctor, a villain or a scholar. A character who says 超ちょう is almost always a teenager. When you are learning, this is a useful trick: the word choice is a costume.

What about すぎる and "too much"?

"Very" means a lot, but not too much. If something goes past the limit, you do not intensify; you change the grammar with すぎる (高たかすぎる, "too expensive"). That is a separate pattern, covered in sugiru.

Common mistakes

  • Using とても with a plain negative to mean "not very". とても高たかくない sounds broken. Use あまり高たかくない.
  • Using めっちゃ or 超ちょう with a stranger or at work. They are friendly slang. They can make a polite sentence feel careless.
  • Using 非常ひじょうに with friends. 非常ひじょうにおいしい! over lunch sounds like a newsreader reviewing a restaurant.
  • Forgetting that すごい becomes すごく before another adjective. すごい高たかい is common in speech, but the clean form is すごく高たかい.
  • Stacking intensifiers. とてもすごく is not natural. Pick one.
  • Reading かなり as "very". It is "fairly, rather", so かなり暑あつい is hot, but not as extreme as とても暑あつい.

The register table

Word Register Feel Example
非常ひじょうに Formal, written Stiff, reports and speeches 非常ひじょうに重要じゅうようです
大変たいへん Formal, polite Service Japanese, also "tough" 大変たいへんありがとうございます
とても Neutral Safe everywhere とてもおいしいです
かなり Neutral "Quite, considerably" かなり難むずかしいです
すごく / すっごく Casual Friendly, everyday すごくおいしい
めっちゃ Casual, slang Kansai origin, now nationwide めっちゃおいしい
超ちょう Slang Young, high-energy 超ちょうおいしい
けっこう Casual "More than expected" けっこうおいしい
あまり〜ない Neutral "Not very" (negative only) あまりおいしくない

For the larger question of when to move between polite and casual Japanese, see keigo vs casual Japanese. And if you hear やばい used as an intensifier, that is its own topic: yabai meaning.

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair showing the negative trap.

1. You are talking to a shop clerk and want to say "This is very delicious." Which word is safest?

Show answer

とても — neutral and polite, so it is safe with strangers: とてもおいしいです.

2. You are texting a close friend: "That movie was really good." Which word is most natural?

Show answer

すごく (or すっごく) — casual and friendly: その映画えいが、すごくよかった.

3. How do you say "This shop is not very expensive."?

Show answer

この店みせはあまり高たかくないです — あまり + negative is the pattern for "not very".

4. What does とても食たべられません mean?

Show answer

"I can't possibly eat it." — とても + negative potential means "no way", not "not very". This is the pair to question 3.

5. Which of these suits a company report: 非常ひじょうに, めっちゃ or 超ちょう?

Show answer

非常ひじょうに — it is formal and written. めっちゃ and 超ちょう are casual slang.

6. What is the difference between かなり and とても?

Show answer

かなり is "quite, fairly"; とても is a full "very". かなり is slightly weaker and sounds like a measured judgment.

7. What does けっこう add to けっこう歩あるいたね?

Show answer

"More than I expected" — けっこう carries mild surprise, like "we walked quite a bit".

8. When someone tells you a sad story and answers 大変たいへんですね, are they saying "very"?

Show answer

No — as an adjective 大変たいへん means "tough, serious", so それは大変たいへんですね is "that sounds rough".

9. An anime character shouts 超ちょうかわいい! Is this polite or slang?

Show answer

Slang — 超ちょう is casual youth speech, often used by high-energy characters.

10. Change すごい to the adverb form before 高たかい (so it means "really expensive").

Show answer

すごく高たかい — like any い-adjective, すごい becomes すごく (い → く) when it modifies another adjective.

A trial lesson is a good place to say "very expensive" with とても, すごく and 非常ひじょうに, and decide which fits a friend, a boss and a report.

FAQ

What is the most common way to say "very" in Japanese? とても for neutral and polite speech, and すごく for casual speech. If you only learn two, learn those.

What is "very" in Japanese hiragana? とても. It is normally written in hiragana, not kanji. すごく and かなり are also usually written in kana.

How do you say "very" in casual Japanese? すごく or すっごく, and with close friends めっちゃ or 超ちょう. Among friends, these sound more natural than とても.

Can I use とても in a negative sentence? Only in the "can't possibly" sense, such as とても食たべられない. For "not very", use あまり + a negative.

Is めっちゃ only used in Kansai? It began in Kansai but is now common nationwide in casual speech. It is still slang, so keep it for friends.

What is the difference between 非常ひじょうに and 大変たいへん? 非常ひじょうに is the stiffer, more written "very". 大変たいへん is also formal, but you hear it in service language (大変たいへんお待またせしました) and it also means "tough".

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab.

とても	とても — very
すごく	すごく — really, very (casual)
非常に	ひじょうに — extremely (formal)
大変	たいへん — very (formal); tough, serious
めっちゃ	めっちゃ — super, totally (casual, Kansai origin)
超	ちょう — super (slang)
かなり	かなり — fairly, considerably
けっこう	けっこう — quite, more than expected
あまり	あまり — not very (with a negative)
すごい	すごい — amazing, terrible
おいしい	おいしい — delicious
疲れる	つかれる — to get tired
重要	じゅうよう — important
残念	ざんねん — disappointing, regrettable
難しい	むずかしい — difficult
信じる	しんじる — to believe

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, since choosing between とても and すごく comes up early in almost every learner's lessons. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N5 · Read something at this level: JLPT N5 stories with audio

More “Grammar, One Piece at a Time” articles →

Want to try this in a real conversation?

30-minute trial lesson, $13. Times shown in your own timezone.

Practice it out loud with a Tokyo native. ★5.0 from 358 italki reviews.

See how the lessons work →

Book a trial lesson · $13