VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

ずっと

ずっと
hepburn zutto

continuously, much (more), all along

Part of speech · adverb

Pattern visualization

no decomposition available

Examples

  1. 彼はずっと前から待っています。
    He has been waiting from a long time ago.
  2. こっちのほうがずっと美しい。
    This one is much more beautiful.

Collocations

ずっと (zutto, continuously / much)ずっと前 (zutto mae, long before)ずっと続く (zutto tsuzuku, continues on)もっと (motto, more)一直 / 一向 (Sino equivalents)

Mnemonic

Zutto (ずっと) is a polyseme adverb — (1) temporal "continuously / all along" (zutto matte iru = I've been waiting all along), (2) degree "much / far" (zutto utsukushii = much more beautiful). Same word, both axes, context decides — a textbook Japanese polysemy. "Zutto mae kara suki datta" (I've liked you since long ago) mixes time and emotion intensity. Synonym cluster: motto (more, comparative), isso (rather), haruka ni (much / far, formal). Zutto is everyday / conversational; haruka ni is written / formal. Korean "jjuk / gye-sok / jul-got / hwol-ssin / han-cham" parallels. English "all along / far more" both map to zutto — learners need conscious disambiguation.

Quick check

  1. Meaning of "zutto utsukushii"?

Listed inJLPT N5 · core
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