Japanese word

突如

Pronunciation

Romajitotsujo

Meaning

  • adverball of a sudden

Example

彼は突如笑い出しました。kare wa totsu jo wara i da shi ma shi ta

He started laughing all of a sudden.

Illustration for 突如 (all of a sudden)

More examples

彼女は話の途中で、突如立ち上がりました。kano jo wa hanashi no to chū de totsu jo ta chi a ga ri ma shi ta

She suddenly stood up in the middle of the conversation.

Core concept

Describes an event that enters a situation abruptly, with no gradual lead-in or warning.

Common phrases

  • 突如現れるtotsu jo arawa re ru

    appear unexpectedly

  • 突如発生するtotsu jo has sei su ru

    occur unexpectedly

  • 突如消えるtotsu jo ki e ru

    disappear all of a sudden

Similar words

突然totsuzen: Describes something that happens unexpectedly and without warning.
いきなりikinari: Describes an action or event that starts without preparation or a gradual lead-in.
不意にfuini: Describes an action or event that occurs when it is not expected.
急にkyūni: Describes a change that happens quickly rather than gradually.

Definition in Japanese

前触れなく、ある出来事が急に起こるさま。mae bu re na ku a ru de ki goto ga kyū ni o ko ru sa ma

Word origin

突如 (totsujo) is a Sino-Japanese compound using 突 (totsu, "thrust") and 如 (jo, "as"), expressing an event that seems to thrust itself into the situation.

Usage tips

  • 突如 (totsujo) is more formal and literary than いきなり (ikinari), so it often appears in narration and news reports rather than casual speech.

Other meanings

  • unexpectedlyadverb

Word lists with this word