Japanese adverbs look simple on the surface, but choosing the right one can be surprisingly tricky. When do you use まだ vs もう? Can ちょっと and 少し really be swapped freely? This article walks you through six commonly confused adverb pairs.
まだ vs もう: The Tug-of-War of Time
This is the most classic pair. In short: まだ = still (state continues), もう = already (state changed).
| Adverb | Core Meaning | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| まだ | still, not yet | both affirmative and negative | まだ食べています。 (I'm still eating.) |
| もう | already, no longer | both affirmative and negative | もう食べました。 (I already ate.) |
Key Distinction: Affirmative vs Negative Pairings
Many learners only memorize "まだ = still, もう = already," but their meanings flip in negative sentences:
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| まだ | still doing (まだ寝ています = still sleeping) | not yet (まだ寝ていません = haven't slept yet) |
| もう | already did (もう寝ました = already went to sleep) | no longer (もう寝ません = won't sleep anymore) |
もう帰りますか。 → Are you leaving already?
いいえ、まだです。 → No, not yet.
Note: まだです is a very useful standalone expression meaning "not yet."
Common Mistake
"Not yet" corresponds to まだ〜ていません, not まだ〜ません.
- まだ宿題をしていません。 (I haven't done my homework yet.)
まだ宿題をしません。(This implies "I don't plan to do it in the future either" — very unnatural.)
ちょっと vs 少し: "A Little" with Different Temperatures
Both words mean "a little," but their feel is completely different.
| Adverb | Feel | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| ちょっと | casual, friendly, conversational | among friends, everyday chat |
| 少し (すこし) | polite, formal, written | formal settings, writing, with superiors |
ちょっと待って！ → Wait a sec! (to a friend)
少々お待ちください。 → Please wait a moment. (service industry — even more formal than 少し)
ちょっと's Hidden Skill: Soft Rejection
When used alone, ちょっと is actually a polite way to say "no":
A: 明日、映画に行きませんか。 (Want to go see a movie tomorrow?) B: 明日はちょっと…… (Tomorrow is a bit...)
The unspoken ending is "困ります" (it would be difficult). This is one of the most common ways to decline an invitation in Japanese. 少し does not have this function.
たくさん vs いっぱい: "A Lot" in Different Settings
| Adverb | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| たくさん | neutral, all-purpose | たくさん食べてください。 (Please eat a lot.) |
| いっぱい | casual, emotionally expressive | いっぱい遊んだ！ (We played so much!) |
いっぱい also means "full," which たくさん cannot express:
電車がいっぱいです。 (The train is packed.)
電車がたくさんです。(Unnatural)
Usage Guidelines
- Essays, exams, formal contexts → たくさん
- Chatting with friends, expressing emotions → いっぱい
- Meaning "full/packed" → only いっぱい
全然 vs 全く: "Not at All" — Casual vs Formal
Both pair with negation to mean "not at all."
| Adverb | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 全然 (ぜんぜん) | casual, spoken | 全然わからない。 (I don't understand at all.) |
| 全く (まったく) | formal, written | 全く理解できません。 (I cannot understand at all.) |
全然's "New Usage": With Affirmative Sentences
In modern spoken Japanese, 全然 is increasingly used with affirmative sentences to mean "totally, completely":
全然大丈夫です。 (Totally fine.) 全然おいしい。 (Totally delicious.)
This usage is common among younger speakers, but on exams and in formal writing, 全然 should still pair with negation. 全く always pairs with negation.
やっぱり vs やはり: "As Expected" — Spoken vs Written
| Adverb | Feel | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| やっぱり | spoken, casual | everyday conversation |
| やはり | written, formal | essays, speeches, news |
The meaning is identical — the only difference is formality level.
やっぱり日本語は難しいね。 (Japanese really is hard, isn't it.) Spoken やはり予想通りの結果となった。 (The result was as expected.) Written
There is an even more casual contraction: やっぱ. Use it only in very relaxed situations.
結局 vs とうとう vs ついに: "In the End" — With Different Emotions
All three can translate to "in the end / finally," but they carry different emotional nuances:
| Adverb | Emotion | Tendency |
|---|---|---|
| 結局 (けっきょく) | neutral to negative, "after all that" | twists and turns, outcome often disappointing |
| とうとう | neutral, "it finally came to that" | long wait, something finally happened |
| ついに | positive, "at last achieved" | long effort finally paid off |
結局、何も決まらなかった。 → In the end, nothing was decided. (After all that discussion...)
とうとう雨が降り出した。 → It finally started raining. (We'd been waiting/expecting it.)
ついにN1に合格した！ → I finally passed N1! (After years of hard work!)
Can They Be Swapped?
-
ついに合格した → Natural (positive achievement)
-
結局合格した → Also works, but implies "despite all the twists and turns"
-
とうとう合格した → Works, emphasizes the long wait
-
結局失敗した → Natural (negative outcome)
-
ついに失敗した → Unnatural (ついに skews positive)
-
とうとう失敗した → Works, emphasizes things deteriorating
Summary
- まだ vs もう: still/not yet vs already/no longer — watch how they flip in negative sentences
- ちょっと vs 少し: casual vs formal, and ちょっと has a special soft-rejection function
- たくさん vs いっぱい: neutral vs casual; only いっぱい can mean "full"
- 全然 vs 全く: casual vs formal; 全然 with affirmatives is spoken-only
- やっぱり vs やはり: casual vs formal, identical meaning
- 結局 vs とうとう vs ついに: 結局 skews negative, ついに skews positive, とうとう is neutral
Practice Quiz
Q1. Your friend asks if you've finished your homework. You haven't. How do you reply in Japanese?
Show Answer
まだです。 or まだ終わっていません。
Use ていません to express "haven't finished yet" as a current state. ません alone would sound like you're saying you won't do it.
Q2. You want to politely decline a friend's invitation. What single word hints "it's not convenient"?
Show Answer
ちょっと……
Trailing off after ちょっと is the most common soft rejection in Japanese. 少し does not have this function.
Q3. Fill in the blank: After three years of hard work, ＿＿＿N1に合格した！ (I finally passed N1!) A. 結局 B. とうとう C. ついに
Show Answer
The best answer is C. ついに.
ついに emphasizes achieving a goal after sustained effort — the most positive nuance. とうとう would also work but emphasizes the long wait rather than the achievement. 結局 doesn't fit well here, as it implies a "roundabout" or slightly disappointed tone.