When attaching 〜すぎ (sugi) to verbs or adjectives, it indicates that something is "too much" or "excessive." For example, 食べすぎ (tabe-sugi) means "to eat too much," and 飲みすぎ (nomi-sugi) means "to drink too much."
You can also use 〜すぎ with adjectives. For instance, 忙しすぎ (isogashi-sugi) means "too busy," and 高すぎ (taka-sugi) means "too expensive." This suffix is very useful for expressing an undesirable excess of something.
Guide de prononciation
- lengthening the 'u' sound
Exemples par niveau
働きすぎは健康に良くない。
Working too much is not good for your health.
Verb stem + すぎる (to do something too much)
このケーキは甘すぎる。
This cake is too sweet.
い-adjective stem + すぎる (to be too [adjective])
食べすぎてお腹がいっぱいだ。
I ate too much and now I'm full.
Verb stem + すぎる + て (too much [verb] and then...)
あの人はちょっと話しすぎだね。
That person talks a bit too much, doesn't he?
Verb stem + すぎる (to do something too much)
この服は私には大きすぎる。
These clothes are too big for me.
い-adjective stem + すぎる (to be too [adjective])
最近、遊びすぎて勉強がおろそかになっている。
Lately, I've been playing too much and neglecting my studies.
Verb stem + すぎる + て (too much [verb] and then...)
あの映画は感動しすぎて涙が止まらなかった。
That movie was so moving that I couldn't stop crying.
Verb stem + すぎる + て (too much [verb] and then...)
今日の会議は長すぎた。
Today's meeting was too long.
い-adjective stem + すぎる (to be too [adjective])
Famille de mots
Noms
Verbes
Comment l'utiliser
When you attach ～すぎ to the stem of a verb or to an i-adjective, or to a na-adjective (remove the な), it expresses the idea of doing something “too much” or something being “too X.”
It’s really common, and you’ll hear it a lot in everyday Japanese. It’s super useful for complaining or just stating something is excessive. For example, if you eat too much, you can say 食べすぎた (tabesugita).
Verb Stem + ～すぎ
To use it with a verb, take the verb stem. That’s the part of the verb before ～ます in the ます-form.
- 食べる (taberu) → 食べ (tabe) + すぎる → 食べすぎる (tabesugiru): to eat too much
- 飲む (nomu) → 飲み (nomi) + すぎる → 飲みすぎる (nomisugiru): to drink too much
- 話す (hanasu) → 話し (hanashi) + すぎる → 話しすぎる (hanashisugiru): to talk too much
i-Adjective (remove い) + ～すぎ
For i-adjectives, drop the final い and add すぎる.
- 高い (takai) → 高 (taka) + すぎる → 高すぎる (takasugiru): too expensive/tall
- 忙しい (isogashii) → 忙し (isogashi) + すぎる → 忙しすぎる (isogashisugiru): too busy
- 難しい (muzukashii) → 難し (muzukashi) + すぎる → 難しすぎる (muzukashisugiru): too difficult
na-Adjective (remove な) + ～すぎ
For na-adjectives, just drop the な and add すぎる.
- 簡単 (kantan, easy) → 簡単 (kantan) + すぎる → 簡単すぎる (kantasugiru): too easy
- 静か (shizuka, quiet) → 静か (shizuka) + すぎる → 静かすぎる (shizukasugiru): too quiet
- 便利 (benri, convenient) → 便利 (benri) + すぎる → 便利すぎる (benrisugiru): too convenient
Keep in mind that when you add ～すぎると, it behaves like an ichidan verb (る verb). So, it conjugates just like verbs like 食べる (taberu).
Examples:
- このケーキは甘すぎる。(Kono kēki wa amasugiru.)
This cake is too sweet. - 昨日は飲みすぎた。(Kinō wa nomisugita.)
I drank too much yesterday. - 彼は働きすぎだ。(Kare wa hatarakisugi da.)
He works too much.
A common mistake is forgetting to drop the い from i-adjectives or the な from na-adjectives. Forgetting to do this will make your sentence sound unnatural or incorrect.
- Incorrect: 高いすぎる (takaisugiru)
Correct: 高すぎる (takasugiru) - Incorrect: 簡単なすぎる (kantan nasugiru)
Correct: 簡単すぎる (kantasugiru)
Also, make sure you're using the correct stem for verbs. If you're unsure, always go back to the ます-form and remove ます.
- Incorrect: するすぎる (surusugiru) (for する, to do)
Correct: しすぎる (shisugiru) (from します)
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Imagine a chef who adds 'sugi' (sugar) to everything. 'Too much sugar!' or 'Sugary stuff!' can remind you that 'sugi' means 'too much' or 'excessive.'
Association visuelle
Picture a scene where something is clearly in excess. For example, a giant pile of pancakes with syrup overflowing, representing 'tabesugi' (eating too much). Or a person drowning in clothes because they bought 'kaisugi' (bought too much).
Word Web
Défi
Think about something you do too much of, or something that is excessive in your daily life. Now, try to describe it using '〜すぎ' in Japanese. For example, if you watch too much TV, you might say 'テレビを見すぎです' (terebi o misugi desu - I watch too much TV). Try creating 3-5 such sentences.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Describing something as excessively large or small.
- 大きすぎます (Ookisugimasu): It's too big.
- 小さすぎます (Chiisasugimasu): It's too small.
- 多すぎます (Oosugimasu): There's too much.
Talking about eating or drinking too much.
- 食べすぎました (Tabesugimashita): I ate too much.
- 飲みすぎました (Nomisugimashita): I drank too much.
- 食べすぎないでください (Tabesuginaide kudasai): Please don't eat too much.
When something is too difficult or easy.
- 難しすぎます (Muzukashisugimasu): It's too difficult.
- 簡単すぎます (Kantan sugimasu): It's too easy.
- 複雑すぎます (Fukuzatsusugimasu): It's too complicated.
Expressing that something is too expensive or cheap.
- 高すぎます (Takasugimasu): It's too expensive.
- 安すぎます (Yasugimasu): It's too cheap.
- これは高すぎます (Kore wa takasugimasu): This is too expensive.
Describing feelings or actions as excessive.
- 心配しすぎです (Shinpai shisugi desu): You're worrying too much.
- 考えすぎです (Kangae sugi desu): You're overthinking it.
- 働きすぎです (Hataraki sugi desu): You're working too much.
Amorces de conversation
"最近、何か食べすぎたものはありますか？ (Saikin, nani ka tabesugita mono wa arimasu ka?) (Recently, is there anything you ate too much of?)"
"このお店の服は、値段が高すぎると思いますか？ (Kono omise no fuku wa, nedan ga takasugiru to omoimasu ka?) (Do you think the clothes at this shop are too expensive?)"
"今日の仕事は、難しすぎましたか？ (Kyō no shigoto wa, muzukashisugimashita ka?) (Was today's work too difficult?)"
"友達が心配しすぎている時、なんて声をかけますか？ (Tomodachi ga shinpai shisugite iru toki, nante koe o kakemasu ka?) (When your friend is worrying too much, what do you say to them?)"
"あなたが思う「〜すぎ」なことは何ですか？ (Anata ga omou "~sugi" na koto wa nan desu ka?) (What do you think is 'too much'?) (e.g. too much screen time)"
Sujets d'écriture
昨日、食べすぎたものを思い出して、その時の気持ちを日本語で書いてみましょう。(Kinō, tabesugita mono o omoidashite, sono toki no kimochi o Nihongo de kaite mimashō.) (Recall what you ate too much of yesterday, and try to write your feelings at that time in Japanese.)
最近、何か「〜すぎる」と感じた出来事を日本語で詳しく描写してみましょう。(Saikin, nani ka "~sugiru" to kanjita dekigoto o Nihongo de kuwashiku byōsha shite mimashō.) (Recently, try to describe in detail in Japanese an event where you felt something was 'too much.')
もしあなたがお店の店員だったら、高すぎる値段についてお客さんにどう説明しますか？日本語で書いてみましょう。(Moshi anata ga omise no ten'in dattara, takasugiru nedan ni tsuite okyaku-san ni dō setsumei shimasu ka? Nihongo de kaite mimashō.) (If you were a shop assistant, how would you explain about something being too expensive to a customer? Try writing it in Japanese.)
働きすぎている友達に、日本語でアドバイスを書いてみましょう。(Hataraki sugite iru tomodachi ni, Nihongo de adobaisu o kaite mimashō.) (Try writing advice in Japanese to a friend who is working too much.)
「〜すぎ」という言葉を使って、あなたの生活について5つの文を日本語で書いてみましょう。(「~sugi」という言葉を使って、あなたの生活についてitsutsu no bun o Nihongo de kaite mimashō.) (Using the word "~sugi", write five sentences about your life in Japanese.)
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsThe best way to remember 〜すぎ is to think of it as meaning 'too much' or 'excessive.' Try to associate it with situations where something is overdone. For example, if you eat too much, you might say 食べすぎ (tabesugi).
Yes, generally, 〜すぎ carries a negative connotation. It implies that something has gone beyond an appropriate or desirable limit. For instance, 寝すぎ (nesugi) means 'slept too much,' implying a negative outcome like feeling groggy.
You can use 〜すぎ with most verbs. You attach it to the stem of the verb (the ます-form without ます). For example, to say 'drink too much,' you take the stem of 飲みます (nomimasu), which is 飲み (nomi), and add すぎ, making it 飲みすぎ (nomisugi).
For い-adjectives, you drop the い and add 〜すぎ. For example, 忙しい (isogashii - busy) becomes 忙しすぎ (isogashisugi - too busy). For な-adjectives, you add 〜すぎ directly. For example, 簡単 (kantan - easy) becomes 簡単すぎ (kantansugi - too easy).
〜すぎる is the verb form meaning 'to do too much' or 'to be too much.' 〜すぎ is the noun form, often used as a noun meaning 'excess' or 'the state of being too much.' For example, 食べすぎる (tabesugiru) is 'to eat too much,' while 食べすぎ (tabesugi) can refer to 'overeating' (as a noun).
Yes, there are many! Some common ones include 働きすぎ (hatarakisugi - overwork/working too much), 飲みすぎ (nomisugi - overdrinking/drinking too much), and 寝すぎ (nesugi - oversleeping/sleeping too much).
Yes, you can use 〜すぎ in both casual and polite speech. When using it politely, you would simply conjugate the verb that 〜すぎ modifies into its polite form. For example, 食べすぎです (tabesugi desu) means 'it's too much food' (polite).
A good example with an adjective is この服は高すぎます (Kono fuku wa takasugimasu). This means 'These clothes are too expensive.' Here, 高い (takai - expensive) drops the い and adds すぎ.
The core meaning of 'too much' or 'excessive' remains consistent. However, the specific nuance can vary slightly depending on the word it's attached to. For example, 頑張りすぎ (ganbarisugi - trying too much/overdoing it) can imply pushing oneself beyond healthy limits.
Start by identifying situations in your daily life where you would say 'too much' in English. Then, try to translate those into Japanese using 〜すぎ. For example, if you say 'I ate too much for lunch,' try to say 昼ご飯を食べすぎました (Hirugohan o tabesugimashita).
Teste-toi 42 questions
このケーキは甘__です。
To say 'too sweet', we attach すぎる to the stem of the adjective. For い-adjectives, remove い.
食べ__はいけません。
食べすぎる (tabesugiru) means 'to eat too much'. We use the verb stem + すぎる.
このコーヒーは熱__です。
熱すぎる (atsusugiru) means 'too hot'. Remove the い from 熱い (atsui) and add すぎる.
話し__。
話しすぎる (hanashisugiru) means 'to talk too much'. Use the verb stem + すぎる.
この本は高__です。
高すぎる (takasugiru) means 'too expensive'. Remove the い from 高い (takai) and add すぎる.
飲み__ないでください。
飲みすぎないでください (nomisuginai de kudasai) means 'Please don't drink too much'. It uses the negative form of すぎる.
Write a sentence in Japanese saying 'I ate too much.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
食べすぎました。
Write a sentence in Japanese saying 'This is too big.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
これは大きすぎます。
Write a sentence in Japanese saying 'It's too hot.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
暑すぎます。
Why did the person's stomach hurt?
Read this passage:
私はきのう、ケーキをたくさん食べました。それで、お腹が痛くなりました。
Why did the person's stomach hurt?
The passage says 'ケーキをたくさん食べました。' (ate a lot of cake), and the result was 'お腹が痛くなりました。' (stomach hurt).
The passage says 'ケーキをたくさん食べました。' (ate a lot of cake), and the result was 'お腹が痛くなりました。' (stomach hurt).
What is the problem with the sweater?
Read this passage:
このセーターは小さすぎます。もっと大きいのが欲しいです。
What is the problem with the sweater?
The sentence 'このセーターは小さすぎます。' means 'This sweater is too small.'
The sentence 'このセーターは小さすぎます。' means 'This sweater is too small.'
What happens if you drink too much coffee?
Read this passage:
コーヒーを飲みすぎると、夜寝られません。
What happens if you drink too much coffee?
The passage states '夜寝られません' (you can't sleep at night) as a result of 'コーヒーを飲みすぎると' (if you drink too much coffee).
The passage states '夜寝られません' (you can't sleep at night) as a result of 'コーヒーを飲みすぎると' (if you drink too much coffee).
Choose the correct sentence: That cake is too sweet.
〜すぎ (sugi) attaches to the stem of adjectives or verbs to mean 'too much' or 'excessive'. 甘い (amai - sweet) becomes 甘すぎ (amasugi).
Which sentence means 'I ate too much'?
食べる (taberu - to eat) becomes 食べすぎ (tabesugi) in the past tense to mean 'ate too much'.
What is the correct way to say 'This book is too difficult'?
難しい (muzukashii - difficult) becomes 難しすぎ (muzukashisugi) to express 'too difficult'.
The sentence 'テレビを見すぎました。' means 'I watched too much TV.'
見る (miru - to watch) + すぎ (sugi) means 'watched too much'.
You can use 〜すぎ (sugi) with nouns directly.
〜すぎ (sugi) is typically used with verb stems or the stem of i-adjectives and na-adjectives.
The sentence 'このコーヒーは熱すぎです。' is grammatically correct and means 'This coffee is too hot.'
熱い (atsui - hot) is an i-adjective, so it should be 熱すぎます (atsusugimasu). The correct sentence would be 'このコーヒーは熱すぎます。'
You ate too much cake. How would you tell a friend this in Japanese?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
ケーキを食べすぎた。
Your new shoes are too big. How would you say this in Japanese?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この靴は大きすぎる。
The music is too loud. How would you ask someone to turn it down in Japanese?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
音楽がうるさすぎる。
What did Person A think about the book?
Read this passage:
A: この本、面白かったけど、長すぎたね。 B: そうだね。読むのに時間がかかりすぎた。
What did Person A think about the book?
Person A says '長すぎた' which means 'it was too long'.
Person A says '長すぎた' which means 'it was too long'.
Why does Person A have a headache?
Read this passage:
A: 昨日は飲みすぎたから、今日は頭が痛い。 B: 気を付けてね。
Why does Person A have a headache?
Person A says '飲みすぎたから' which means 'because I drank too much'.
Person A says '飲みすぎたから' which means 'because I drank too much'.
What is the speaker looking for?
Read this passage:
このセーターは少し高すぎる。もっと安いのが欲しい。
What is the speaker looking for?
The speaker says '高すぎる' (too expensive) and 'もっと安いのが欲しい' (want a cheaper one).
The speaker says '高すぎる' (too expensive) and 'もっと安いのが欲しい' (want a cheaper one).
This sentence means 'I ate too much, so my stomach hurts.' The verb '食べる' (to eat) combined with '〜すぎて' indicates eating excessively, followed by the result of a stomachache.
This sentence translates to 'These clothes are too big for me.' The adjective '大きい' (big) with '〜すぎます' indicates an excessive size.
This means 'He worked too much, so he got sick.' The verb '働く' (to work) with '〜すぎて' shows overworking, leading to illness.
Choose the most natural sentence expressing 'He talks too much.'
The correct form is the verb stem + すぎる. For '話す' (to talk), the stem is '話し' (hanashi), so '話しすぎる' (hanashisugiru) is correct. The polite form is '話しすぎます'.
Which sentence correctly uses '〜すぎ' to say 'This coffee is too hot'?
To express 'too hot' for an object like coffee, we use '熱い' (atsui - hot to the touch). The i-adjective stem + すぎる is correct, so '熱すぎる' (atsusugiru) is the right form. '暑い' (atsui) is for atmospheric heat, '暖かい' (atakakai) is for pleasantly warm.
Select the sentence that means 'You're trying too hard.'
The verb '頑張る' (ganbaru - to try hard) has a stem '頑張り' (ganbari). Adding 'すぎ' to this stem forms '頑張りすぎ' (ganbarisugi), meaning 'trying too hard'. The polite form is '頑張りすぎです'.
The sentence '昨日は食べすぎました' means 'Yesterday I didn't eat enough.'
'食べすぎました' (tabesugimashita) means 'ate too much'. Therefore, the statement is false.
In the phrase '飲みすぎ', '飲み' is the stem of the verb '飲む'.
'飲む' (nomu - to drink) is a u-verb, and its stem is '飲み' (nomi). So, '飲みすぎ' (nomisugi) correctly means 'drinking too much'.
You can use '〜すぎ' with nouns directly, e.g., 'これは水すぎ' to mean 'This is too much water.'
'〜すぎ' is primarily used with verb stems and the stems of i-adjectives or na-adjectives. To say 'too much water,' you would typically use '水が多すぎる' (mizu ga oosugiru) or '水の量が多すぎる' (mizu no ryou ga oosugiru).
The speaker ate too much yesterday and has a stomachache today.
He worked too much and became unwell.
This book is too difficult for the speaker to understand.
Read this aloud:
あの人はいつも考えすぎるから、なかなか行動に移せないんだ。
Focus: 考えすぎる (kangaesugiru)
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
このコーヒーは熱すぎて飲めないよ。
Focus: 熱すぎて (atsusugite)
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
最近、ゲームをしすぎたせいで、目が疲れている。
Focus: しすぎた (shisugita)
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
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Exemple
昨日は飲みすぎたので、今日は二日酔いだ。
Contenu associé
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
Plus de mots sur food
少々
B1A little; a few.
〜ほど
B1About; approximately; degree.
~ほど
B1About, approximately; to the extent of ~.
豊富な
B1Abundant, rich in.
ふんだんに
B1Lavishly; abundantly; generously (e.g., using ingredients).
足す
B1To add (e.g., to a sum, to ingredients).
添加物
B1Additive.
〜てから
B1After doing ~.
~てから
B1After doing (an action).
熟成させる
B1To age; to mature (food).
