What are the main differences between tonikaku and toriaezu ?

Greetings to all of you Japanese learners out there. We hope you are doing exceedingly well and are geared up to face another online Japanese lesson from us here at Bondlingo. Today we are going to be learning all about  the main differences between tonikaku and toriaezu. These to Japanese words are incredibly useful for daily conversation and beyond so they are definitely worth learning.

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 of today’s lesson 

Let’s ensure we haven’t missed anything. 

1. Tonikaku means “Anyway” or “Anyhow” and can be used to change the subject or say you are going to something “anyway” 
2. Toriaezu is used to talk about short term actions ie “For now” For the time being” 
3. They are both used commonly at the beginning of sentences.
4. Ensure to really implement today’s study tip as it is really important for your progress. 

Wow, what a lesson! We really hope that you have learnt a lit today and that you will go forth and practice what you have learnt today. It’s so admirable that you are taking it upon yourself to proactively learn things, you are awesome. If you have any comments or suggestions on things you would like to see in the next lesson please do let us know. またね。

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