Use and Meaning of Toriaezu(とりあえず),Ittan,Tonikaku : Japanese has a lot of really useful words. There are a lot of words that mean the same thing as entire phrases in English. However, it can take a bit of time to get used to all of these words.
In this article, I’ll go over a few words that I have found really useful to know, and exactly how to use them.
Contents
- 1 Use and Meaning of Toriaezu(とりあえず),Ittan(いったん),Tonikaku(とにかく)
- 2 Learn Japanese Online with BondLingo
- 3 Recommend
Use and Meaning of Toriaezu(とりあえず),Ittan(いったん),Tonikaku(とにかく)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
| とりあえず | toriaezu | first of all |
| とにかく | tonikaku | anyway |
| いったん | ittan | as soon as |
| ただいま | tadaima | I’m home |
Toriaezu(とりあえず)
The first word is our title word: “toriaezu” (とりあえず). This one is usually written only in kana, and it has two somewhat distinct meanings.
One meaning is “first of all” or “right away.” With this meaning, you could say something along the lines of “Toriaezu(とりあえず) watashi ga ikimasu” (とりあえず私が行きます), or “I’m going right away.” With this meaning, it’s fairly common to follow “Toriaezu(とりあえず)” with the word “ima” (今), meaning “now.” You could put that in this sentence as well, saying “Toriaezu(とりあえず) ima watashi ga ikimasu” to make your meaning clear.
The other meaning is “for now” or “for the time being.” I heard it used more this way, but that could just be the preference of the people I spent time with in Japan. You could actually say the same sentence as above with this meaning. Saying “Toriaezu(とりあえず) watashi ga ikimasu” could mean “I’ll go for now.” The key to knowing what someone is saying is context. Context is always very important in Japanese, and this sentence could be used in either way.
Ittan(いったん) is Toriaezu(とりあえず) ?
Our next word is “ittan” (一旦). A lot of times, this one is also written only in kana.
This word is mainly used to mean “once” or “as soon as.” I found a good example for this one in my dictionary. It was “Ittan shita koto wa moto doori ni naranai” (いったんしたことは元どおりにならない), which means “What is done cannot be undone.” The “ittan” in this sentence is attached to “shita koto,” meaning “something that is done.” So it literally means, “Once something is done…”
This one can be pretty easy to mix up with other words, so make sure you’re careful. I would always mix this up with the word “ittai” (一体), which means “generally,” or can be used to add emphasis to a question.
Tonikaku(とにかく) is Toriaezu(とりあえず)?
Another word I found fairly useful was “tonikaku” (兎に角). This one is also written almost exclusively in kana.
“Tonikaku” means “anyway,” “at any rate,” or “generally speaking.” This one can be easy to mix up with “Toriaezu(とりあえず),” so be careful that you don’t try to use them interchangeably. I have heard a few foreigners learning Japanese do that, and they aren’t quite the same.
Let’s look at how this is different by switching it into our first example sentence to see how the meaning changes. If you say “Tonikaku watashi ga ikimasu” (とにかく私が行きます), it means something more along the lines of “At any rate, I’m going.” You can see that this is a subtle but distinct difference in meaning.
There’s another phrase related to “tonikaku.” I didn’t hear it as much, but I thought it would be worth mentioning. You can use the phrase “nanishiro” (何しろ) in place of “tonikaku” when you are expressing something personal and emotive. An example I found in my grammar book was “Nanishiro sutoresu ga ooi desu” (何しろストレスが多いです). This would mean “In fact, I’m very stressed.”
You could replace “nanishiro” with “tonikaku” in this, and still retain the meaning. However, “nanishiro” indicates that the situation is personal and emotional. You can always replace “nanishiro” with “tonikaku,” but you can’t always replace “tonikaku” with “nanishiro,” because not all sentences with “tonikaku” will be this personal and emotive.
What are the main differences between tonikaku(とにかく) and toriaezu(とりあえず) in Japanese
Leanring about the differences of とにかく and とりあえず
We will be breaking down today’s lessons into the following segments:
- 1 What is とりあえず Toriaezu? How you can use toriaezu in day to day situations
- 2. What is とにかく Tonikaku? How you can use tonikaku in day to day situations.
- 3. We will look at some example sentences with とにかく and とりあえず. This will help us get a real understanding of the differences between each of today’s words.
- 4. We will learn a great study technique that you can implement to help you master とにかく and とりあえず. Something you can use in daily life that is efficient and practical.
- 5. We will look at a small summary of today’s lesson to ensure we haven’t missed anything.
Okay guys, now we know what to expect, it;s time to get excited for the lesson and start learning some really useful knowledge! Let’s go.
What is とりあえず Toriaezu?
How you can use toriaezu in day to day situations
So let’s first look at とりあえず Toriaezu. とりあえず Toriaezu means “for now; for the time being”. It does have another meaning of “first of all; at once; right away” but we will be focussing on the former for today’s lesson.
Take a look at this example sentence
とりあえずこれをやってしまおう。
Toriaezu kore wo yatteshimau
Let's do this for now.
You can see here the Toriaezu is used at the beginning of the sentence. This is the most common place to put it. The sentence indicates that they will do something “for the time being”.
This is used commonly in restaurants when you want to say something like “I’ll just have a coffee for now” Implying that you may want something else shortly after.
Tonikaku is different to Toriaezu and we will find out how in this next section:
What is とにかく Tonikaku?
How you can use tonikaku in day to day situations.
So what exactly is とにかく and how does it differ from とりあえず? とにかく means “anyway” or “anyhow” in Japanese. Let’s take a look at an example sentence.
とにかく始めよう。
Tonikaku hajimeyou
Anyhow, let's begin.
Like Toriaezu, tonikaku is used at the beginning of the sentence usually. It is often used to change the subject but can also have the meaning of “Let’s do it anyway”.
It is a really common expression and one you should definitely try to remember.
Let’s have a look at some example sentences now so we can see the differences more clearly.
Some example sentences with とにかく and とりあえず.
Get a real understanding of the differences between each of today’s words.
Make sure to pay close attention to whether it’s a tonikaku sentence or a toriaezu sentence.
In this sentence the speaker is saying that even though the situation is not ideal, they are going to do it “anyway’”
雨が降るかもしれないが、とにかく私は今日行きます。
Ame ga furu kamoshirenai ga tonikaku watashi wa kyou ikimasu
It may rain, but I will go today anyhow.
In this sentence the speaker is using とにかく to change the subject and move the conversation forward.
とにかくまあ、お入りください。
Tonikaku maa o hairi kudasai
Anyway, please come in.
In this sentence the speaker is in a cafe and wants to order something “for now!
とりあえず、コーヒーお願いします
Toriaezu, ko-hi- onegaishimasu
For now I will have a coffee.
In the sentence the speaker is giving temporary instruction using とりあえず
とりあえず、ここで待ってください。
Toriaezu koko de matte kudasai
Please wait here for the time being.
Hopefully through these sentences you can see the main differences between the words. We are now going to look at a great study technique you can implement to ensure that you never get these words mixed up again.
A great study technique that you can implement to help you master とにかく and とりあえず.
Something you can use in daily life that is efficient and practical.
So now that we know about the major differences between toriaezu and tonikaku it’s time for you to learn a great study technique that you can use in your own time to really master each word.
First you are going to want to re read the sentences from today’s lesson. Learn them off by heart and imagine yourself using those specific examples in situations in your life. Once you have a clear picture of this you should make 2 tonikaku sentences and 2 toriaezu sentences for the next 5 days.
Write them down, speak with friends, talk to yourself, whatever you need to do to make sure that you are using them.
From this you should be able to really use them with confidence moving forward. Make sure that you actually use these tips as without putting this into practice you won’t retain the information from today;s lesson. Now let’s look at a small summary to ensure we haven’t missed anything.
A small summary
Let’s ensure we haven’t missed anything.
- Tonikaku means “Anyway” or “Anyhow” and can be used to change the subject or say you are going to something “anyway”
- Toriaezu is used to talk about short term actions ie “For now” For the time being”
- They are both used commonly at the beginning of sentences.
- Ensure to really implement today’s study tip as it is really important for your progress.
Tadaima(ただいま)
The last word we’ll talk about in this article is “tadaima” (ただ今). This is another word that is almost always written in kana.
You may have heard this word before to say “I’m home!” It is definitely used in that way, but it can also be used in sentences in Japanese.
I’ll be honest, I never actually used this one myself. However, I heard it a lot, generally in prerecorded, formal messages. The one that sticks out to me the most is hearing it at train stations when it would be announced that “Tadaima densha ga mairimasu” (ただいま電車が参ります) or “The train is now approaching.”
“Tadaima” is fairly easy to remember, as it can be broken down into two different words: “tada” meaning “just” or “only,” and “ima” meaning “now.” Whenever I translate this word, I think of it as “just now.”
You might never say this one, but I heard it often enough that I think it’s a good one to know.
These are just a few words that I think are really useful. Using words like this correctly is a great way to express yourself clearly and really elevate your Japanese. Be sure to practice, and listen to native Japanese speakers to help you get the hang of them.
Learn Japanese Online with BondLingo
Recommend
