Japanese word

必ず

Pronunciation

Romajikanarazu

Meaning

  • adverbalways

Example

宿題は必ずします。shuku dai wa kanara zu shi ma su

I always do my homework.

Illustration for 必ず (always)

More examples

学校へ行く前に必ず手を洗います。gak kō e i ku mae ni kanara zu te o ara i ma su

I always wash my hands before going to school.

大切な書類は、送る前に必ず確認します。tai setsu na sho rui wa oku ru mae ni kanara zu kaku nin shi ma su

I always check important documents before sending them.

Core concept

Presents something as sure to happen or be done without fail, whether it refers to a repeated action or a single expected result.

Common phrases

  • 必ず来るkanara zu ku ru

    always come

  • 必ず使うkanara zu tsuka u

    always use

Similar words

絶対にzettaini: Shows that an action or result is certain to occur without exception.
きっとkitto: Shows confident expectation about a future event or a fact.
いつもitsumo: Describes an action or state that occurs repeatedly or on every occasion.

Definition in Japanese

決められたことや予想されることが、間違いなく実現するさま。ki me ra re ta ko to ya yo sō sa re ru ko to ga ma chiga i na ku jitsu gen su ru sa ma

Word origin

必ず (kanarazu, "always") is the modern form of Old Japanese kanarazu, whose structure is traditionally explained as kanara plus the classical auxiliary ず (zu, "not").

Usage tips

  • 必ずしも (kanarazushimo) usually appears with a negative expression and means "not necessarily," unlike 必ず (kanarazu), which expresses certainty.

Other meanings

  • certainlyadverb
  • without failadverb

Word lists with this word