Japanese word

もとより

Pronunciation

Romajimotoyori

Meaning

  • adverbof course

Example

これはもとより私の仕事です。ko re wa mo to yo ri watashi no shi goto de su

This is, of course, my job.

Illustration for もとより (of course)

More examples

その危険はもとより承知しています。so no ki ken wa mo to yo ri shō chi shi te i ma su

I am well aware of that danger.

Core concept

It presents a fact as an expected starting point, often implying that it needs no further explanation.

Common phrases

  • もとよりのことmo to yo ri no ko to

    a matter of course

  • もとより承知mo to yo ri shō chi

    well aware from the outset

Similar words

もちろんmochiron: It marks a fact as obvious and commonly accepted in ordinary conversation.
無論muron: It marks a fact as self-evident, with a formal and sometimes literary tone.

Definition in Japanese

ある事柄を当然の前提として示す語。a ru koto gara o tō zen no zen tei to shi te shime su go

Word origin

The native Japanese adverb もとより (motoyori) combines 元 (moto, "origin") and より (yori, "from"), meaning "from the beginning" and later "of course."

Usage tips

  • In conversation, もとより (motoyori) sounds more formal than もちろん (mochiron), so it often introduces a point treated as obvious before another point is added.

Other meanings

  • originallyadverb
  • not to mentionadverb

Word lists with this word