English–Japanese

“all of a sudden” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajitotsujo

Example

彼は突如笑い出しました。kare wa totsu jo wara i da shi ma shi ta

He started laughing all of a sudden.

Illustration for 突如 (all of a sudden)

How to say “all of a sudden” in Japanese

“All of a sudden” in Japanese is 突如 (totsujo).

Describes an event that enters a situation abruptly, with no gradual lead-in or warning.

Full entry for 突如: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 突如

彼女は話の途中で、突如立ち上がりました。kano jo wa hanashi no to chū de totsu jo ta chi a ga ri ma shi ta

She suddenly stood up in the middle of the conversation.

Tips for using 突如

  • 突如 (totsujo) is more formal and literary than いきなり (ikinari), so it often appears in narration and news reports rather than casual speech.

“all of a sudden” in other languages