English gets by with "very," "quite," and "a little," but Japanese has a whole spectrum of degree adverbs — and they come in casual, neutral, and formal varieties. Pick the wrong one and you'll sound either too stiff or too slangy. This article walks you through the full scale from highest to lowest, with formality levels included.
The Degree Ladder: From "ultra" to "barely"
Here's the complete degree scale from highest to lowest:
| Degree | Adverb | Register | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme | めちゃくちゃ | very casual | extremely, insanely |
| Extreme | 超（ちょう） | slang | ultra, super |
| High | すごく | casual | really, so |
| High | とても | neutral | very |
| High | 非常に（ひじょうに） | formal/written | extremely |
| High | 大変（たいへん） | formal | terribly, very much |
| Fairly high | かなり | neutral | quite, considerably |
| Fairly high | 相当（そうとう） | formal | considerably |
| Medium | なかなか | neutral (positive) | quite, rather (appreciative) |
| Medium | けっこう | casual | quite, unexpectedly |
| Medium-low | まあまあ | casual | so-so, decent |
| Medium-low | そこそこ | casual | passable, moderate |
| Low | 少し（すこし） | neutral | a little |
| Low | ちょっと | casual | a bit |
| Low | やや | written | slightly |
| Low | 多少（たしょう） | written | somewhat |
| Very low | わずか | written | barely, slightly |
Degree Scale Diagram
Low ──────────────────────────────────────── High
わずか 少し やや まあまあ なかなか かなり とても すごく めちゃくちゃ
ちょっと 多少 そこそこ けっこう 相当 非常に 大変 超
High Degree: Eight Ways to Say "Very Good"
とても — The Safe All-Rounder
とても works in both speech and writing. It's the Japanese equivalent of a plain "very."
このラーメンはとてもおいしいです。 → This ramen is very delicious.
非常に / 大変 — For Formal Situations
非常に and 大変 sound formal and are common in speeches, reports, and written text.
非常にありがたいお話です。 → That is a most appreciated offer.
大変申し訳ございません。 → I am terribly sorry. (polite/business context)
すごく / めちゃくちゃ / 超 — Among Friends
すごく is the most natural "very" in casual speech — it feels more alive than とても.
昨日のライブ、すごくよかった！ → Yesterday's concert was so good!
めちゃくちゃ and 超 are even more casual, popular among younger speakers:
この映画、めちゃくちゃ面白い！ → This movie is insanely fun!
超うまい！ → So good! (about food)
かなり / 相当 — "Quite Considerably"
かなり means "more than expected" with an objective, evaluative feel.
今日はかなり寒いですね。 → It's quite cold today, isn't it?
相当 is more formal, describing a degree that exceeds the norm:
相当な努力が必要です。 → Considerable effort is needed.
Register Comparison Chart
| Casual (friends) | Neutral (daily) | Formal (work/writing) |
|---|---|---|
| 超, めちゃくちゃ | すごく | — |
| すごく | とても | 非常に, 大変 |
| — | かなり | 相当 |
Medium Degree: なかなか vs けっこう
These two trip up many learners.
なかなか + Positive = Appreciatively Good
When paired with a positive statement, なかなか means "better than expected" with an approving tone:
この店、なかなかおいしいね。 → This place is pretty good, isn't it? (I wasn't expecting much)
けっこう = Surprisingly More Than Expected
けっこう emphasizes the surprise factor:
日本語、けっこうできるじゃん。 → Your Japanese is pretty decent! (didn't expect that)
今月けっこう使っちゃった。 → I spent quite a lot this month. (more than I thought)
なかなか vs けっこう Comparison
| なかなか (+ positive) | けっこう | |
|---|---|---|
| Nuance | Appreciation/approval | Surprise/exceeding expectations |
| Focus | Speaker's evaluation of quality | Speaker's reaction to amount/degree |
| Example | なかなかいい = pretty good | けっこう高い = surprisingly expensive |
まあまあ / そこそこ = So-So
味はまあまあだった。 → The taste was so-so. (not great, not bad)
そこそこ売れている。 → It's selling decently. (not bad, not a hit)
Low Degree: Saying "A Little"
少し / ちょっと — A Little
少し is slightly more formal; ちょっと is more casual. They mean essentially the same thing.
少し疲れました。 → I'm a little tired.
ちょっと待ってください。 → Please wait a moment.
やや / 多少 — Written Register
やや appears frequently in news and reports:
気温はやや低めです。 → The temperature is slightly low.
多少 means "somewhat, to some extent":
多少不安はあります。 → I have some degree of anxiety.
わずか — Barely, Slightly
わずかな差で負けた。 → Lost by a narrow margin.
Negative Pairings: あまり, 全然, ほとんど
Degree adverbs have a dedicated set for negative sentences:
| Adverb | Pattern | Degree | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| あまり | ~ ない | not very | not really |
| そんなに | ~ ない | not that much | not so |
| ほとんど | ~ ない | almost not | hardly |
| 全然（ぜんぜん） | ~ ない | not at all | not at all (casual) |
| 全く（まったく） | ~ ない | not at all | not at all (formal) |
あまり辛くないです。 → It's not very spicy.
全然わからない。 → I don't understand at all.
ほとんど食べていない。 → I've hardly eaten anything.
Watch Out: なかなか + Negative = "Just Can't"
When paired with a negative, なかなか takes on a completely different meaning — "no matter how hard I try, it doesn't happen":
なかなか覚えられない。 → I just can't memorize it.
バスがなかなか来ない。 → The bus just won't come.
This is totally different from "なかなかおいしい" (pretty tasty). Context is key.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Limiting 全然 to Negatives Only
Traditional grammar says 全然 must pair with negatives, but modern spoken Japanese uses 全然大丈夫 (totally fine) and 全然いい (totally OK) all the time. For exams, stick with the negative pattern; in real conversations, positive usage is perfectly natural.
Mistake 2: Using とても with Negatives
とても generally doesn't pair with negative forms. To say "not very ~," use あまり～ない or そんなに～ない:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| あまりおいしくない |
Mistake 3: Confusing なかなか's Two Meanings
- なかなかいい → pretty good (positive = appreciation)
- なかなかできない → just can't do it (negative = difficulty)
Positive or negative changes the meaning entirely.
Summary
- High degree, casual to formal: 超 → めちゃくちゃ → すごく → とても → 非常に → 大変
- Medium degree with nuance: なかなか (appreciative), けっこう (surprised)
- Medium-low: まあまあ (so-so), そこそこ (passable)
- Low degree: 少し/ちょっと (a little) → やや (slightly) → わずか (barely)
- Negative pairings, weak to strong: あまり～ない → ほとんど～ない → 全然～ない
- なかなか with positives = appreciation; with negatives = "just can't" — completely different meanings
Practice Quiz
Q1. You want to say "thank you very much" in a formal email. Would you use すごく or 大変?
Show Answer
Use 大変. In formal contexts, say 大変ありがとうございます. すごく is casual and would sound too informal in an email.
Q2. A friend takes you to an unknown little restaurant. After eating, you're pleasantly surprised. Would you say "＿＿おいしいね" with なかなか or けっこう?
Show Answer
Both work, but with different nuances:
- なかなかおいしいね → This is pretty good! (appreciative)
- けっこうおいしいね → This is surprisingly good! (emphasizing surprise)
If you simply didn't have high expectations, なかなか feels more natural. If you actively thought it would be bad and were proven wrong, けっこう fits better.
Q3. Which sentence below is incorrect? Why?
- A. あまり暑くないです。
- B. とても暑くないです。
- C. 全然暑くないです。
Show Answer
B is incorrect. とても generally doesn't pair with negative forms. To say "not very hot," use あまり暑くないです. To say "not hot at all," use 全然暑くないです.