Japanese Conversation · Level 49
90 words
Japanese word
さぞ
Pronunciation
Romajisazo
Meaning
- adverbmust
Example
あなたはさぞお疲れでしょう。a na ta wa sa zo o tsuka re de shō
You must be tired.
More examples
大役を終えて、さぞほっとされたことでしょう。tai yaku o o e te sa zo ho tto sa re ta ko to de shō
You must have felt relieved after completing such an important task.
Core concept
It conveys a confident judgment about another person's unseen condition while leaving the statement as an inference rather than a fact.
Common phrases
さぞお疲れでしょうsa zo o tsuka re de shō
must be tired
さぞ驚いたでしょうsa zo odoro i ta de shō
must have been surprised
さぞ残念でしょうsa zo zan nen de shō
must be disappointed
Similar words
きっとkitto: Indicates a strong belief that something is true or will happen.
どうやらdōyara: Suggests that something appears likely based on signs or circumstances.
おそらくosoraku: Indicates that a situation is considered probable but not certain.
Definition in Japanese
目の前にない事情をもとに、相手の状態などを確かにそうだろうと推測する語。me no mae ni na i ji jō o mo to ni ai te no jō tai na do o tashi ka ni sō da rō to sui soku su ru go
Word origin
さぞ (sazo, "surely") is a native Japanese formation of さ (sa, "so") and ぞ (zo), whose emphatic force strengthens the speaker's inference.
Usage tips
- In this use, さぞ (sazo) expresses confident inference rather than the obligation often associated with the English word must.