次第に
次第に em 30 segundos
- Means 'gradually' or 'little by little'.
- Used with verbs of change (e.g., naru, te kuru).
- More formal than the casual word 'dandan'.
- Often heard in news, weather, and formal writing.
- Etymological Breakdown
- The combination of 'next' and 'ordinal' creates a literal meaning of 'in order,' which evolved into 'gradually.'
空が次第に暗くなってきた。
- Nuance Comparison
- Unlike 急に (suddenly), 次第に implies a predictable and steady transformation.
彼の病状は次第に悪化している。
- Grammar Connection
- Often used with the V-te iku / V-te kuru forms to show directional change over time.
雪が次第に溶けていった。
観客が次第に集まってきた。
事態は次第に明らかになるだろう。
- Verb Pairing
- Always ensure the main verb indicates a transition, such as 増える (to increase) or 減る (to decrease).
人口が次第に減少している。
- Adjective Conjugation
- I-adjectives drop the 'i' and add 'ku naru'. Na-adjectives add 'ni naru'.
風が次第に強くなった。
- Contextual Neutrality
- The adverb does not inherently imply good or bad, only the speed and nature of the change.
二人の関係は次第に冷え込んでいった。
練習を重ねるにつれて、次第に上達した。
霧が次第に晴れて、山が見えてきた。
- News Broadcasts
- Used extensively in formal reporting to describe ongoing situations objectively.
台風の影響で、雨が次第に強まる見込みです。
- Documentary Narration
- Provides a dramatic yet factual tone when describing historical or scientific processes.
その文明は次第に衰退していった。
- Literary Contexts
- Used to describe internal emotional shifts or the slow progression of a plot.
彼女の心の中で、不安が次第に大きくなっていった。
町の風景は、年月とともに次第に変わっていった。
彼の声は次第に小さくなり、最後には聞こえなくなった。
- Static vs. Dynamic
- Never use with state-of-being verbs like ある or いる unless modified to show change.
❌ 部屋が次第に静かだ。 ⭕ 部屋が次第に静かになった。
- Temporal Confusion
- Ensure the context matches the slow pace implied by the word.
❌ ドアが開いて、次第に犬が飛び出してきた。 (Incorrect because jumping out is sudden)
- Grammar Point Confusion
- Distinguish between the adverb 次第に and the suffix 〜次第.
❌ 天候次第に、試合を中止します。 ⭕ 天候次第で、試合を中止します。
⭕ 薬が効いて、痛みが次第に和らいだ。
⭕ 努力すれば、次第に結果が出る。
- だんだん (Dandan)
- Casual, everyday equivalent. Often used in spoken Japanese.
日本語がだんだん分かってきた。
- 徐々に (Jojo ni)
- Formal, emphasizes extreme slowness or gradualness.
景気は徐々に回復している。
- 少しずつ (Sukoshizutsu)
- Focuses on small quantities or increments rather than just time.
貯金を少しずつ増やしている。
ますます (Masumasu) means 'more and more' and indicates an accelerating change.
一歩一歩 (Ippo ippo) means 'step by step,' focusing on steady effort.
How Formal Is It?
Nível de dificuldade
Gramática essencial
V-te iku (continuous change into the future)
V-te kuru (continuous change up to the present)
N/Na-adj + ni naru (to become)
I-adj (drop i) + ku naru (to become)
〜につれて (as X happens, Y happens)
Exemplos por nível
あきは次第にさむくなります。
Autumn gradually becomes cold.
次第に + Adjective + なります
空が次第にくらくなります。
The sky gradually becomes dark.
次第に + く + なります
雨が次第につよくなります。
The rain gradually becomes strong.
次第に + つよく + なります
次第にわかります。
I gradually understand.
次第に + Verb
はなが次第にさきます。
The flower gradually blooms.
次第に + Verb
次第におおきくなります。
It gradually becomes big.
次第に + おおきく + なります
次第によくなります。
It gradually becomes good.
次第に + よく + なります
次第にあたたかくなります。
It gradually becomes warm.
次第に + あたたかく + なります
練習すれば、次第に上手になります。
If you practice, you will gradually become skilled.
次第に + Na-adjective + になります
薬を飲んで、次第に気分が良くなった。
After taking medicine, I gradually felt better.
次第に + Noun + が + よくなった
雲が晴れて、次第に山が見えてきた。
The clouds cleared, and the mountain gradually came into view.
次第に + Verb-てくる
日本語の勉強が次第に楽しくなりました。
Studying Japanese gradually became fun.
次第に + 楽しく + なりました
冬が近づき、次第に日が短くなる。
As winter approaches, the days gradually become shorter.
次第に + 短く + なる
彼の話を聞いて、次第に状況が分かった。
Listening to his story, I gradually understood the situation.
次第に + 分かった
町は次第に静かになっていった。
The town gradually became quiet.
次第に + 静かに + なっていった
お客さんが次第に増えてきました。
The number of customers has gradually increased.
次第に + 増えてきました
新しい環境にも次第に慣れてくるでしょう。
You will probably gradually get used to the new environment.
次第に + 慣れてくる
議論が進むにつれて、問題点が次第に明らかになった。
As the discussion progressed, the problems gradually became clear.
次第に + 明らかになった
二人の関係は次第に冷え込んでいった。
The relationship between the two gradually cooled down.
次第に + 冷え込んでいった
科学技術の発展により、生活は次第に便利になっている。
Due to the development of science and technology, life is gradually becoming more convenient.
次第に + 便利に + なっている
最初は難しかったが、次第にコツを掴んできた。
It was difficult at first, but I gradually got the hang of it.
次第に + コツを掴んできた
地球温暖化の影響で、海面が次第に上昇している。
Due to the effects of global warming, sea levels are gradually rising.
次第に + 上昇している
彼の努力は次第に周囲に認められるようになった。
His efforts gradually came to be recognized by those around him.
次第に + 認められるように + なった
痛みが次第に和らぎ、ついに眠りについた。
The pain gradually eased, and I finally fell asleep.
次第に + 和らぎ
経済制裁の影響が次第に実体経済に波及し始めた。
The effects of economic sanctions gradually began to ripple through the real economy.
次第に + 波及し始めた
伝統的な工芸技術は、後継者不足により次第に失われつつある。
Traditional craft techniques are gradually being lost due to a lack of successors.
次第に + 失われつつある
プロジェクトの全貌が次第に浮き彫りになってきた。
The full picture of the project has gradually come into sharp relief.
次第に + 浮き彫りに + なってきた
人々の価値観が多様化する中で、その制度は次第に時代遅れとなった。
As people's values diversified, the system gradually became outdated.
次第に + 時代遅れと + なった
彼の心の中にあった疑念が、次第に確信へと変わっていった。
The doubt in his mind gradually turned into conviction.
次第に + 変わっていった
グローバル化の波に押され、独自の文化が次第に薄れている。
Pushed by the wave of globalization, unique cultures are gradually fading.
次第に + 薄れている
長年の研究データが蓄積され、理論の正当性が次第に証明された。
Years of research data accumulated, and the validity of the theory was gradually proven.
次第に + 証明された
過疎化が進む村では、空き家が次第に目立つようになっている。
In the depopulating village, empty houses are gradually becoming conspicuous.
次第に + 目立つように + なっている
記憶の糸をたぐるうちに、忘却の彼方にあった出来事が次第に蘇ってきた。
As I traced the threads of my memory, events from the depths of oblivion gradually came back to me.
次第に + 蘇ってきた
権力の座に長く留まることで、彼の判断力は次第に鈍磨していった。
By remaining in power for a long time, his judgment gradually became blunted.
次第に + 鈍磨していった
微細な亀裂が次第に拡大し、ついには組織全体の崩壊を招いた。
The minute cracks gradually expanded, ultimately leading to the collapse of the entire organization.
次第に + 拡大し
その思想は当初異端視されていたが、時代の変遷とともに次第に市民権を得ていった。
The ideology was initially viewed as heretical, but with the changing times, it gradually gained public acceptance.
次第に + 市民権を得ていった
病魔は彼の肉体を次第に蝕み、かつての面影を奪い去った。
The disease gradually ravaged his body, stripping away the traces of his former self.
次第に + 蝕み
複雑に絡み合った利害関係が、交渉を通じて次第に解きほぐされていく。
The complexly intertwined interests are gradually being unraveled through negotiation.
次第に + 解きほぐされていく
星々の瞬きが次第に薄れ、東の空が白み始めた。
The twinkling of the stars gradually faded, and the eastern sky began to lighten.
次第に + 薄れ
彼の言葉の裏に隠された真意が、次第に私の胸に迫ってきた。
The true intention hidden behind his words gradually pressed upon my heart.
次第に + 迫ってきた
歴史のうねりの中で、個人の意志は次第に巨大な奔流に飲み込まれてゆく。
In the swell of history, individual will is gradually swallowed by a massive torrent.
次第に + 飲み込まれてゆく
形而上学的な問いに対する彼の思索は、次第に深淵へと向かっていった。
His contemplation of metaphysical questions gradually headed toward the abyss.
次第に + 向かっていった
かつて絶対的とされたパラダイムが、新たな発見によって次第に瓦解していく様を目撃した。
I witnessed the paradigm, once considered absolute, gradually collapsing due to new discoveries.
次第に + 瓦解していく
言語という枠組みの中で、その名状しがたい感情は次第に輪郭を帯びてきた。
Within the framework of language, that indescribable emotion gradually took on a contour.
次第に + 輪郭を帯びてきた
文明の利器に依存するあまり、人間の本来的な生存能力が次第に退化しているという警鐘が鳴らされている。
An alarm is being sounded that human beings' inherent survival skills are gradually degenerating due to over-reliance on the conveniences of civilization.
次第に + 退化している
静寂が次第に密度を増し、まるで空間そのものが凍りついたかのような錯覚に陥った。
The silence gradually increased in density, leading to the illusion that space itself had frozen.
次第に + 密度を増し
彼の芸術は、初期の模倣から次第に独自の境地へと昇華されていった。
His art was gradually sublimated from early imitation to a unique realm of its own.
次第に + 昇華されていった
宇宙の膨張とともに、銀河同士の距離は次第に遠ざかり、やがては孤立した島宇宙となる運命にある。
With the expansion of the universe, the distance between galaxies is gradually increasing, destined eventually to become isolated island universes.
次第に + 遠ざかり
Colocações comuns
Frases Comuns
Frequentemente confundido com
Expressões idiomáticas
Fácil de confundir
Padrões de frases
Família de palavras
Relacionado
Como usar
Cannot be used for sudden events or static states.
- Using it with static verbs (e.g., 次第にいる).
- Using it with unconjugated adjectives (e.g., 次第に寒い).
- Confusing it with sudden adverbs like 急に.
- Using it in overly casual conversation where だんだん is better.
- Confusing it with the grammar point 〜次第 (depending on).
Dicas
Always Pair with Change
Make it a habit to link 次第に with verbs like なる, くる, or いく. This ensures your sentences are grammatically sound.
Adjust Formality
When chatting with friends, swap 次第に for だんだん. Save 次第に for when you want to sound smart or professional.
Weather Reports
Tune into Japanese weather forecasts. You will hear this word used constantly to describe approaching weather fronts.
Essay Power Word
Use this word in your Japanese essays to describe trends or changes. It instantly elevates the maturity of your writing.
Not for Sudden Events
Never use this word if the action takes place in a few seconds. It is strictly for slow, observable changes.
Learn the Kanji
Understanding that 次 means 'next' helps cement the idea of a step-by-step process in your memory.
Memorize Chunks
Don't just learn the word; learn phrases like '次第に明らかになる' (gradually becomes clear) as single units of meaning.
Look for Context Clues
When you see this word in a text, expect the following sentences to describe the result of the gradual change.
Avoid Adjective Errors
Remember: '次第に高い' is wrong. '次第に高くなる' is correct. Always add the 'naru'.
Know the Differences
Understand that while 徐々に is similar, it feels even slower than 次第に. Choose your words based on the speed of change.
Memorize
Mnemônico
She dies (shidai) slowly and gradually in the dramatic movie.
Origem da palavra
Chinese roots
Contexto cultural
Highly used in seasonal greetings and weather reports.
Pratique na vida real
Contextos reais
Iniciadores de conversa
"最近、日本語が次第に分かってきましたか?"
"あなたの町は、次第に変わっていますか?"
"気候変動で、夏が次第に暑くなっていると思いますか?"
"新しい仕事には次第に慣れましたか?"
"趣味の腕前は次第に上がっていますか?"
Temas para diário
Describe a skill you have gradually improved at using 次第に.
Write about how the weather is gradually changing this month.
Explain how your opinion on a certain topic has gradually shifted.
Describe a city that is gradually modernizing.
Write a short story where the tension gradually builds up.
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasNo, you cannot use it with just any verb. It must be used with verbs that indicate a change of state or a process. For example, verbs like 増える (increase), 減る (decrease), or verbs conjugated with 〜てくる/〜ていく. Using it with a static verb like ある (to be) is incorrect unless modified.
The main difference is the level of formality. だんだん is a colloquial word used in everyday conversation. 次第に is more formal and is typically used in written Japanese, news broadcasts, and professional settings. Both mean 'gradually.'
次第に is a neutral word. It simply describes the speed and nature of a change. It can be used for positive changes, like recovering from an illness, or negative changes, like a worsening economic situation. The context provides the positive or negative connotation.
It is pronounced 'shi-da-i-ni'. The pitch accent is generally flat (heiban), meaning the pitch starts low on 'shi' and stays high for 'dai ni'. Ensure you pronounce each syllable clearly.
Yes, it can. While it usually comes right before the verb or adjective it modifies, placing it at the beginning of a sentence or clause can emphasize the gradual nature of the entire situation described. For example: '次第に、空が暗くなってきた。'
They share the same kanji and root meaning of 'order' or 'sequence,' but they function differently. 〜次第 (shida) is a suffix meaning 'as soon as' or 'depending on.' 次第に (shidai ni) is an adverb meaning 'gradually.' Do not confuse the two.
Yes, but the adjective must be conjugated to show a change. For i-adjectives, change the 'i' to 'ku naru' (e.g., 暑くなる). For na-adjectives, add 'ni naru' (e.g., 静かになる). You cannot say '次第に暑い'.
Think of the kanji: 次 (next) and 第 (order). Imagine taking things 'in order, to the next step.' This logical progression perfectly encapsulates the meaning of 'gradually' or 'step by step.'
Yes, it is a very common vocabulary word in the JLPT, typically appearing around the N3 or N4 level. It frequently shows up in reading comprehension passages and listening sections, especially in news or weather contexts.
While technically understandable, it is redundant because both words convey a similar idea of gradual or incremental change. It is better to choose one or the other depending on what you want to emphasize: time (次第に) or amount (少しずつ).
Teste-se 180 perguntas
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Summary
次第に (shidai ni) is your go-to adverb for describing slow, steady changes in formal or written contexts. Always remember to pair it with dynamic verbs or adjectives that indicate a transition, such as 'becomes' or 'is increasing.'
- Means 'gradually' or 'little by little'.
- Used with verbs of change (e.g., naru, te kuru).
- More formal than the casual word 'dandan'.
- Often heard in news, weather, and formal writing.
Always Pair with Change
Make it a habit to link 次第に with verbs like なる, くる, or いく. This ensures your sentences are grammatically sound.
Adjust Formality
When chatting with friends, swap 次第に for だんだん. Save 次第に for when you want to sound smart or professional.
Weather Reports
Tune into Japanese weather forecasts. You will hear this word used constantly to describe approaching weather fronts.
Essay Power Word
Use this word in your Japanese essays to describe trends or changes. It instantly elevates the maturity of your writing.
Exemplo
空が次第に暗くなってきた。
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古代の
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〜頃
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その頃
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