51 Must-Know Japanese Adverbs

Time to go back to grammar school! If I asked you to tell me what an adverb is, what would you say?

If you don't teach English for living, you may draw a blank; it's nothing to be ashamed of.  How often does another native English speaker come up to you and say "Hey! How's it going, man? What's an adverb?" 

I'm willing to bet...almost never.  

But today, since we're looking an extensive list of Japanese adverbs, it helps to know what adverb is first.  

Let's piece together how to use some very common Japanese words & expressions by starting with a common reference point.

Let's do a quick, simple, example of how to use an English adverb.  I'll start by showing a picture of a clown: 

Perhaps I should've mentioned that it was Pennywise the Clown.  Not to scare any of you who are clown-sensitive, but bear with me.  Pennywise will make our brief example a bit stickier.

What's the first word that comes to mind when you see Pennywise? For me, "Scary" is the first word. So let's start with a simple sentence:

Pennywise the Clown is scary.

Now how can we make this sentence a little juicier? By adding an adverb of course!

Pennywise the Clown is insanely scary.

See the difference?  The word insanely (often words ending in -ly are adverbs) tells us just how frightening Pennywise is.  
Make sense? We'll stop with this example or we run the risk of turning this post into an English lesson.

Now that I've jogged your memory about what adverbs are and how to use them, his is a list of Japanese adverbs you should know!  Keep in mind that some phrases on this list may classify as nouns or even adjectives.  It's one of those fuzzy lines that get blurred when going from Japanese to English (and vice versa).  However, because many of these words have a similar, repetitive sound (mimetic words - 擬態語 | ぎたいご) I thought it made sense to group these together.  

Dry (Comes from the word kansou, which mean dry.)

Example: そのディスポーサブル手ぶくろをはめているから手はかさかさです。
Sono deisupo-saburute wo hamete iru kara, te ha kasa kasa desu.

My hands are dry from wearing those disposable gloves.

Smooth, silky (Comes from the word suberi 滑り - which means sliding or slipping.)
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Example: そるのあとかおがすべすべする。
Soru no ato, kao ga sube sube suru.

My face is smooth after I shave it.

Wrinkly (This expression can also mean flabby.)

Example: お風呂に出た時手はふにゃふにゃになった。
Ofuro ni deta toki te ha hunya hunya ni natta.

When I got out of the tub, my hands were all wrinkly.

Smooth or Slick
It's hard for me to forget this one, as kindergarten children will rub my freshly shaven, bald head and say it over and over again.

Frustrating or irritating (Comes from the word iratsuku イラつく which means to get irritated.)

Example: ガルフレンドとイライラした
Garufrendo to iraira shita

I'm irritated with my girlfriend.

Hungry

Example: おんなかがぺこぺこです!
Onnaka ga peko peko desu!

I'm starving!

Excitedly

Example: そのしあいはわくわくした！
Sono K-1 shiai ha wakuwaku shita!

That was an exciting K-1 tournament.

To fee anxious, nervous, or thrilled

Thump-thump

Example: 電車できれいな女の人はとなりに座ったと時ドキドキした。
Densha de kireina onna no hito ha tonari ni suwatta toki dokidoki shita.

My heart start beating fast when the beautiful woman sat next to me on the train.

Nibble, Munch (the sound of nibbling or munching)

Drinking (Gulping)

Example: 難しいうんどうするのあと水をごくごく飲みたい。
Muzukashii undo suru no ato mizu wo goku goku nomitai

After doing hard exercise I want to chug some water.

Scrub (Sound of scrubbing)

Example: キラーは床の上のちをごしごし洗った。
Kira ha yuka no ue no chi wo goshi goshi aratta.

The killer scrubbed the blood from the kitchen floor.

Sniff-Sniff

Example: いぬは子どものおしりをくんくんかいだ。
Inu ha kodomo no oshiri wo kun kun kaida。Add 

The dog sniffed the child's butt.

Chewing (food)

Example: ロックリーはレストランでナルトとラメンをもぐもぐと食べました。
Rokku Ri- ha restoran de Naruto to ramen wo mogu mogu to tabemashita.

Rock Lee ate ramen with Naruto at a restaurant.

Crunching, Chewing/Crushing Something Hard

Crisp, Crunch (think potato chips)

Dragging a heavy object

Example: くうこうのゆかでスツケースをずるずると持った。
Kukou no yuka de sutsukesu wo zuruzuru to motta。

I dragged my suitcase along the airport floor.

Springy, doughy, elastic

Sticky

Example: くうこうのゆかでスツケースをずるずると持った。
Kukou no yuka de sutsukesu wo zuruzuru to motta。

I dragged my suitcase along the airport floor.

Slimy or Slippery

Example: この居たチョッコはおいしいけどねばねばだ。
Kono itachoko ha oishi kedo neba neba da.

This chocolate bar is tasty but sticky.

Crunchy, flaky

Example: バッターフィンガーは一番おいしいさくさくの居たチョッコ。
Butterfinger ha ichiban oishii sakusaku no itachoco.

Buttterfingers are the best tasting, crunchy chocolate bar.

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More and More

Example: もっともっと欲しい。
Motto Motto hoshii

To want more and more

All Sorts of, Variety of

Example: ジェリーベリーはいろいろなおいしい味があるよ。
Jelly Belly wa iroirona oishi aji ga aru yo.

Jelly belly have many delicious flavors.

Gradually

Example: ここにだんだん暑くなってふくは全部ぬいで。
Koko ni dandan atsukunatte fuku ha zenbu nuide.

It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes.

Rapidly, Quickly, Steadily

Example: ネオはマトリクスをどんどん分てた。
Neo ha Matrix wo don don wakateta。

Neo began to quickly understand the Matrix

To still have more to go.  More to come.

Example: フェラーリを買っている？いいえお金がまだまだたりない。
Ferrari wo katte iru? Iie okane ga mada mada tarinai.

Are you buying a Ferrari? No, no, I still don't have enough money yet.

Increasingly. More and More.

Example: ガソリンはますますあがる。ハイブリッドを買うかな？
Gasorin no bukka ha masu masu agaru.  Hybrido wo kau kana?

Gas prices are rising more and more.  Maybe I should buy a hybrid?

Soon. Steadily.

Example: そろそろ終わりかな？そろそろ終わりかな？終わり。
Soro soro owari kana? Soro soro owari kana. Owari.

I wonder if it will end soon? (from the Algorithm March)

Alot

I think this word is used more by younger people as I don't hear many adults using it.

Steadily.

Just barely

Example: ぎりぎりで仕事に間に合った。
Giri giri de shigoto ni maniatta。

I barely made it to work on time.

Rapidly, Quickly

Slowly, Sluggishly

このふるいパソコンはのろのろ走っている。
Kono furui pasokon ha noronoro hashiteiru。

This old computer is running very slowly.

Endlessly, Lengthily, Leisurely, Slowly

Example: デートはだらだらつづいた
De-to ha daradara to tsuduita。

The date dragged on.

Piping Hot

Muddled, Muddy, Syrupy

Shrill sound (adverb); Ice cold (な- adjective)

Sloppy, Dirty

To bubble over or bubble out (as in a pot boiling over)

This one can also refer to someone's temper "boling over"futsu futsu okoru = burning/bubbling rage

Simmering, Boiling Gently

Expressly, Specially

Example: わざわざありがとう。
Waza waza arigatou。

I sincerely want to thank you

Swaying, Swinging, Wavering

Example: 風で木はゆらゆらしている.
Kaze de ki wa yura yura shite iru。

The trees were swaying in the wind.

Mutter, Grumble, Complain

Example: 生徒たちはいつも宿題が多すぎとぶつぶつ言った。
Seito tachi ha istumo shukudai ga oosugi to butsubutsu itta。

The students are always complaining about too much homework.

Flirting, Making Out

Impatient, To Be Eager, To feel itchy (noun)

Example: 彼は納豆を良く食べていたから歯磨きをむずむずしたかった。
Kare ha natto wo yoku tabeteita kara hamigaki wo muzumuzu shitakatta.

Because he was eating a lot of natto, he quickly wanted to brush his teeth.

Casually, Unexpectedly, By Chance

Example: 六本木でたまたまトーミリージョヌズに会った。
Roppongi de tamatma Tommy Lee Jones ni atta。

I happened to run into Tommy Lee Jones in Roppongi.
-true story by the way 😀 

Smilingly, With A Friendly Grin

Example: 彼女はにこにこしながら背中へナイフをつきさした。
Kanojo ha nikoniko shinagara senaka he naifu wo tsukisashita。

She smiled as she stabbed me in the back with a knife.

Expressly, Specially

Example: わざわざありがとう。
Waza waza arigatou。

I sincerely want to thank you

Irrepressibly Aroused (Esp. Sexually)

Threw this one in to see who was gonna read until the very end.  Hehehe...ENJOY!

Fluently (Speaking a Foreign Language)

Example: 日本語がぺらぺらだよ。
Nihongo ga pera pera da yo。

I'm fluent in Japanese.

Separately, Individually

You hear this at restaurants. When it's time to pay the check, if you don't want to pay one big check, you can say 「べつべつ」to pay individually. This really helps when your friends drink but you don't.  I know it sounds like penny pinching, but after you go out a few times with people who drink a lot, see what happens to your tab!

Glittering, Sparkling, Twinkling

Disorder, Mess | Unreasonable

Round and Round

Although it takes time to figure out exactly when and how to use these during conversation, just being familiar with them can make a huge difference in what you can glean from conversations.  

Using these expressions can also provide subtle clues into Japanese grammar patterns.

Is the adverbial expression followed by "する?" Something else? Do I use it at the beginning of a sentence? At the end?

Although it takes time to figure out exactly when and how to use these during conversation (I'm still learning),
just being familiar with them can make a huge difference in what you can glean from conversations.