Japanese Conversation · Level 84
60 words
Japanese word
もっぱら
Pronunciation
Romajimoppara
Meaning
- adverbmainly
Example
休日はもっぱら家で過ごします。kyū jitsu wa mo ppa ra ie de su go shi ma su
I spend my days off mainly at home.
More examples
彼女はもっぱら徒歩で通勤しています。kano jo wa mo ppa ra to ho de tsū kin shi te i ma su
She mainly commutes on foot.
Core concept
It narrows a person's attention or activity toward one dominant thing, ranging from "mostly" to "only".
Common phrases
もっぱら仕事に専念するmo ppa ra shi goto ni sen nen su ru
devote oneself mainly to work
もっぱら口コミに頼るmo ppa ra kuchi ko mi ni tayo ru
rely mainly on word of mouth
Similar words
主にomoni: Indicates that one thing is the principal activity, purpose, or focus.
ほとんどhotondo: It indicates that something applies in nearly all cases or makes up nearly all of a whole.
ひたすらhitasura: It indicates that someone continues one activity with single-minded focus.
Definition in Japanese
ほとんどそれだけに限って、他のことをせずに。ho to n do so re da ke ni kagi tte ta no ko to o se zu ni
Word origin
もっぱら (moppara) continues the older Japanese form もはら (mohara), with the middle consonant becoming doubled in the later pronunciation; 専ら (moppara) is its kanji spelling.
Usage tips
- Unlike a plain frequency adverb, もっぱら (moppara) emphasizes what occupies the focus rather than how often an event occurs.
Other meanings
- exclusivelyadverb