Japanese word

やけに

Pronunciation

Romajiyakeni

Meaning

  • adverbunusually

Example

今日はやけに静かです。kyō wa ya ke ni shizu ka de su

It is unusually quiet today.

Illustration for やけに (unusually)

More examples

この問題はやけに簡単です。ko no mon dai wa ya ke ni kan tan de su

This problem is unusually easy.

Core concept

Marks something as noticeably beyond the speaker's normal expectation, often with a sense of surprise.

Common phrases

  • やけに大きいya ke ni ō ki i

    unusually large

  • やけに重いya ke ni omo i

    unusually heavy

  • やけに近いya ke ni chika i

    unusually close

Similar words

えらくeraku: Indicates a surprisingly high degree, with a somewhat informal tone.
やたらyatara: Indicates an excessive or conspicuous degree, often without a clear reason.
ずいぶんzuibun: Indicates a notably high degree, often with a sense of surprise.

Definition in Japanese

普通と比べて程度がはなはだしいさま。fu tsū to kura be te tei do ga ha na ha da shi i sa ma

Word origin

The source of やけ (yake) in やけに (yakeni) is not securely established, but やけに is clearly its adverbial form with に (ni, "an adverbial marker").

Usage tips

  • やけに (yakeni) can modify both favorable and unfavorable descriptions, as in やけに親切 (yakeni shinsetsu, "unusually kind") and やけに遅い (yakeni osoi, "unusually slow").

Other meanings

  • awfullyadverb
  • excessivelyadverb

Word lists with this word