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A2 adverb #2,000 सबसे आम 2 मिनट पढ़ने का समय

遅く

osoku शीर्ष 2,000

इसका अभ्यास करें नोट्स और सुझाव

§ What does it mean and when do people use it?

Let's talk about 遅い (osoi) and its adverbial form, 遅く (osoku). Both are super common and you'll hear them all the time. Think of them as meaning "late" or "slow." While they're related, knowing when to use which is key to sounding natural in Japanese.

First, 遅い (osoi) is an i-adjective. This means it directly describes a noun. It can describe something that is slow in speed or tempo, or something that is late in time. For example, a slow car, a slow person, or a late train.

Definition: 遅い (osoi): An i-adjective meaning slow or late.

このバスは遅いです。
(Kono basu wa osoi desu.)
This bus is slow.

彼はいつも遅いです。
(Kare wa itsumo osoi desu.)
He is always late.

Now, let's get to 遅く (osoku). This is the adverbial form of 遅い. Adverbs modify verbs, other adverbs, or adjectives. So, when you want to describe *how* an action is performed – whether it's done slowly or if something happens late – you'll use 遅く.

Definition: 遅く (osoku): An adverb meaning slowly or late.

Think of it like this:

Use 遅い (osoi) to describe a noun: "The train is late." (電車は遅いです。)
Use 遅く (osoku) to describe a verb: "The train arrived late." (電車が遅く着きました。)

You often see 遅く paired with verbs like なります (narimasu - to become) to say something *becomes* late or slow. For example, if you say 電車が遅くなります (densha ga osoku narimasu), it means "the train will become late."

彼は遅く来ました。
(Kare wa osoku kimashita.)
He came late.

もっと遅く話してください。
(Motto osoku hanashite kudasai.)
Please speak more slowly.

Another common use for 遅く is when you're talking about time in relation to sleeping or staying up. For example, if you stayed up late, you'd use 遅くまで (osoku made).

昨夜は遅くまで勉強しました。
(Sakuya wa osoku made benkyō shimashita.)
I studied late last night.

So, to sum it up: 遅い is for describing nouns, and 遅く is for describing actions (verbs) or how something happens. Pay attention to what word it's modifying, and you'll get it right every time!

सुझाव

Basic Meaning of 遅い

The base adjective is 遅い (osoi), meaning late or slow. 遅く is the adverbial form, used to modify verbs.

Using 遅くなる

You'll often hear 遅くなる (osoku naru), which means 'to become late' or 'to get late'. For example, 授業が遅くなる (jugyou ga osoku naru - the class will get late).

Using with Verbs of Movement

When used with verbs of movement, it often means slowly. For instance, ゆっくり遅く歩く (yukkuri osoku aruku - to walk slowly).

Distinguishing 遅い and 悪い

Don't confuse 遅い (osoi - late, slow) with 悪い (warui - bad). They sound somewhat similar but have different meanings.

Common Phrase: 遅くなってすみません

A very common phrase is 遅くなってすみません (osoku natte sumimasen), meaning 'I'm sorry for being late'.

Comparing with 早い

The opposite of 遅い (osoi - late, slow) is 早い (hayai - early, fast). You can say 早く (hayaku) as its adverbial form.

Using for Time of Day

When talking about time, 遅く can mean late in the day/night. For example, 夜遅くまで勉強する (yoru osoku made benkyou suru - to study until late at night).

Using for Speed

When referring to speed, it means slowly. 車を遅く運転する (kuruma wo osoku unten suru - to drive the car slowly).

Practice with Examples

Try making your own sentences. Example: 彼はいつも遅く来る (kare wa itsumo osoku kuru - He always comes late).