In Japanese, you can say that something is too much, or that it is being done or has been done in excess, by adding the endings 〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru or 〜すぎだ transcribed -sugi da to a verb, adjective, or adverb. These expressions usually carry a negative connotation as in:
But they can also be used in exaggerated compliments as in:この猫動画、かわいすぎ！ transcribed Kono neko dōga, kawaisugi!meaning This cat video is too cute!
It is said that we live in the age of excess, so these expressions are definitely a must-have item in our Japanese tool box, don’t you think?
In this post, we’ll discuss how and when to use 〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru and 〜すぎだ transcribed -sugi da, then look at the more colloquial excess markers 超 transcribed chō, 激 transcribed geki, and 神 transcribed kami, which are frequently found in Japanese manga, games, and social media. Let’s get started!
How to use 〜すぎる [sugiru] to express excess in Japanese
The ending〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru comes from the full verb 過ぎる transcribed sugirumeaning to pass; exceed. When it's used as an ending, it can be attached to a verb, adjective, or adverb to express that an action or condition is excessive or "too much."
How to attach the suffix 〜すぎる[-sugiru]?
In general, the ending 〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru is attached to:
the -masu stem of a verb
the stem of an i-adjective
The dictionary form of a na-adjective or adverb
Let's have a look at some examples!
| Part of speech | Dictionary form | Excess Form |
|---|---|---|
| verb | 食べる Transcription: taberu Translation: to eat | 食べすぎる Transcription: tabesugiru Translation: to eat too much; to overeat from 食べ |
| i-adjective | 忙しい Transcription: isogashii Translation: busy | 忙しすぎる Transcription: isogashi sugiru Translation: too busy from 忙し |
| na-adjective | 簡単 Transcription: kantan Translation: easy | 簡単すぎる Transcription: kantan sugiru Translation: too easy |
| adverb | ゆっくり Transcription: yukkuri Translation: slowly | ゆっくりすぎる Transcription: yukkuri sugiru Translation: too slowly |
How to conjugate 〜すぎる[-sugiru]?
When you use a word + 〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru in a sentence, you'll conjugate the ending just like the independent verb過ぎる transcribed sugiru which is a ru-verb . For example:
| plain present | 〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru |
|---|---|
| polite present | 〜すぎます transcribed -sugimasu |
| plain present (negative) | 〜すぎない transcribed -suginai |
| plain past | 〜すぎた transcribed -sugita |
| plain past (negative) | 〜すぎなかった transcribed -suginakatta |
| te-form | 〜すぎて transcribed -sugite |
When to use 〜すぎる[-sugiru]?
Here are some important characteristics of 〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru we should know!
〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru generally carries a negative connotation (i.e., the act or state is not desirable). In some cases, however, it can work as an exaggerated compliment , especially in casual comments. Let’s see how they work!
- 👎あの子はしゃべりすぎる。Transcription: Ano ko wa shaberisugiru.Translation: That child talks too much.
- 👍あの子、かわいすぎる！Transcription: Ano ko, kawaisugiru!Translation: That child is sooo cute!
- 👎 このラーメンはスープが辛すぎる。Transcription: Kono rāmen wa sūpu ga karasugiru.Translation: As for this ramen, the soup is too spicy.
- 👍このラーメン、スープがおいしすぎる！Transcription: Kono rāmen, sūpu ga oishisugiru!Translation: As for this ramen, the soup is sooo delicious.
〜すぎる transcribed -sugiru is commonly used with the affirmative form of verbs and adjectives. However, it can sometimes be connected to the plain negative form of verbs and adjectives as well. Note that the negative ending 〜ない transcribed -nai changes to 〜なさ transcribed -nasa before すぎる transcribed sugiru.
Dictionary form Plain negative form Example 言うTranscription: iuTranslation: to say言わないTranscription: iwanaiTranslation: not to say言わなさすぎるTranscription: iwanasasugiruTranslation: to say too littleおもしろいTranscription: omoshiroiTranslation: funny/interestingおもしろくないTranscription: omoshiroku naiTranslation: not funny/interestingおもしろくなさすぎるTranscription: omoshiroku nasasugiruTranslation: too boringLiterally: too uninterestingきれいTranscription: きれいTranslation: clean/beautifulきれいじゃないTranscription: kirei ja naiTranslation: not cleanきれいじゃなさすぎるTranscription: kirei ja nasasugiruTranslation: too uncleanLiterally: too uninterestingHere are some examples of when you might do this in a sentence:
- affirmative + 〜すぎるnegative + 〜すぎる田中先生は冗談を言いすぎますが、山田先生は言わなさすぎます。Transcription: Tanaka sensei wa jōdan o iisugimasu ga, Yamada sensei wa iwanasasugimasu.Translation: Prof. Tanaka tells too many jokes, but Prof. Yamada tells too few.
- negative + 〜すぎるSpeaker A:その映画、最後まで見たの？Transcription: Sono eiga, saigo made mita no?Translation: Did you watch the whole movie?Speaker B:ううん、おもしろくなさすぎて、途中でねちゃったよ。Transcription: U’un, omoshiroku nasasugite, tochū de nechatta yo.Translation: Nah, it was so boring (lit., “too uninteresting”) that I fell asleep in the middle of it.
You'll most often make 〜すぎる transcribed sugiru itself negative, using the ending 〜すぎない transcribed suginai, when you're giving a warning or advice, like this:
affirmative + 〜すぎない虫歯になるから、甘いものを食べすぎないように。Transcription: Mushiba ni naru kara, amai mono o tabesuginai yō ni.Translation: Don’t eat too many sweets because it could lead to cavities.We can use the 〜には〜すぎる transcribed ...ni wa…sugiru structure to mean "too… for someone/something" like the examples below:
- その本は私には難しすぎました。Transcription: Sono hon wa watashi ni wa muzukashisugimashita.Translation: That book was too difficult for me.
- この服、仕事にはカジュアルすぎると思う？Transcription: Kono fuku, shigoto ni wa kajuaru sugiru to omou?Translation: Do you think this outfit is too casual for work?
The type of excessiveness expressed by Verb + すぎる can vary in nature. Here are some examples. Please note that some sentences can be interpreted in multiple ways.
- A momentary action done too intensely:あわてすぎて事故を起こさないようにね。Transcription: Awatesugite jiko o okosanai yō ni ne.Translation: Don’t act too hastily and cause an accident.
- An action done for too long:うちの子はテレビを見すぎる。Transcription: Uchi no ko wa terebi o misugiru.Translation: Our child watches TV too much.
- The action was done to too many things:脂っこいものを食べすぎると胸焼けがしますよ。Transcription: Aburakkoi mono o tabesugiru to muneyake ga shimasu yo.Translation: If you eat too much greasy food, you’ll get a heartburn.
- The action taken crossed a social line:さっきはちょっと言いすぎた。ごめん。Transcription: Sakki wa chotto iisugita. Gomen.Translation: I said a bit too much a while ago. I’m sorry.The speaker went too far and said something that crosses the line.
How to use 〜すぎ [sugi] to create action nouns?
The ending 〜すぎ transcribed sugi can be added to the -masu stem of a Japanese verb to create a noun that means "the act of doing [verb] too much." For example:
In a sentence, nouns that end in 〜すぎ transcribed sugi can be used just like any other action noun. For example, in the sentence below, a noun ending in 〜すぎ transcribed sugi is used as the subject of the sentence and is modified with a noun + の transcribed no.
Often nouns that end in 〜すぎ transcribed sugi are used as the predicate of a state-of-being sentence. In this case, the ending would look like 〜すぎだ transcribed sugi da, or the more polite 〜すぎです transcribed sugi desu
〜すぎだ [sugi da] vs. 〜すぎる [sugiru]
What's the difference, then, between a sentence with a predicate that ends in 〜すぎだ transcribed sugi da and in 〜すぎる transcribed sugiru? Well, there are times where the two endings are interchangeable, but not always! Here are two general rules:
When talking about habitual action or action in progress, the two endings are generally interchangable.
Habitual action:
- ✅僕は毎日コーヒーを飲みすぎる。Transcription: Boku wa mainichi kōhii o nomisugiru.Translation: I drink too much coffee every day.
- ✅僕は毎日コーヒーを飲みすぎだ。Transcription: Boku wa mainichi kōhii o nomisugi da.Translation: I drink too much coffee every day.
Action in progress:
- ✅今日はコーヒーを飲みすぎている。Transcription: Kyō wa kōhii o nomisugite iru.Translation: I’m drinking too much coffee today.
- ✅今日はコーヒーを飲みすぎだ。Transcription: Kyō wa kōhii o nomisugi da.Translation: I’m drinking too much coffee today.
〜すぎだ transcribed sugi da generally doesn’t sound natural when talking about a one-time action:
- ✅ゆうべはコーヒーを飲みすぎた。Transcription: Yūbe wa kōhii o nomisugita.Translation: I drank too much coffee last night.
- ❓ゆうべはコーヒーを飲みすぎだった。Transcription: Yūbe wa kōhii o nomisugi datta.
However, there are some exceptions. For example, we can use 言いすぎた transcribed ii sugita and 言いすぎだった transcribed ii sugi datta interchangeably like this:
- ✅昨日はちょっと言いすぎた。ごめん。Transcription: Kinō wa chotto iisugita. Gomen.Translation: I went too far yesterday (lit., I said too much yesterday). I’m sorry.
- ✅昨日はちょっと言いすぎだった。ごめん。Transcription: Kinō wa chotto iisugi datta. Gomen.Translation: I went too far yesterday (lit., I said too much yesterday). I’m sorry.
Bonus: How to use 超 [chō], 激 [geki], and 神 [kami]?
While 〜すぎる transcribed sugi ru and 〜すぎだ transcribed sugi da are commonly used to express excess in Japanese, there are other ways to say that something is simply beyond what is considered normal level. In this section, we’ll find out how 超 transcribed chō, 激 transcribed geki, and 神 transcribed kami work as colloquial “excess markers.” If you are a fan of Japanese manga, games, or social media posts, you might have seen these kanji used along with a noun or an adjective. Let’s see what they mean and how we can use them!
How to use 超 [chō]
In formal grammar, 超 transcribed chō is a prefix that attaches itself to a noun and expresses that something is beyond what is considered normal as in 超満員 transcribed chō maninmeaning packed (when referring to trains, rooms, etc.) or 超特急 transcribed chōtokkyūmeaning super express (train).
In colloquial Japanese, however, 超 transcribed chō is often used along with adjectives as if it’s an adverb. The English equivalent is “super,” “very,” or “extremely.” In Japanese, it can be replaced with ものすごく transcribed monosugokumeaning extremely in conversations and 非常に transcribed hijōnimeaning very; extremely in formal speech or writing. Here are some examples:
- わあ、星が超きれい！(= ものすごくきれい)Transcription: Wā, hoshi ga chō kirei! (= monosugoku kirei)Translation: Wow, the stars are super pretty!
- 健太のやつ、なまいき。超むかつく。(=ものすごくむかつく)Transcription: Kenta no yatsu, namaiki. Chō mukatsuku. (=monosugoku mukatsuku)Translation: Kenta is being smart-alecky. It’s super annoying.
How to use 激 [geki]
激 transcribed geki is a 語素 transcribed gosomeaning morpheme that means “violent” or “extreme.” It creates a word along with another kanji as in 激流 transcribed gekiryūmeaning powerful current or 激論 transcribed gekironmeaning heated argument. In colloquial Japanese, it is sometimes used as a prefix that connects to the stem of some adjectives or the masu-form of verbs, expressing that some state is at an extreme level. Here are some examples!
- 激安Transcription: gekiyasuTranslation: super-low-price=ものすごく安いTranscription: monosugoku yasuiTranslation: extremely inexpensiveネットで買った激安パソコン、すぐ壊れちゃったよ。Transcription: Netto de katta pasokon, sugu kowarechatta yo.Translation: The super-low-price laptop I bought online broke down in no time, you know.
- 激うまTranscription: geki umaTranslation: super tasty=ものすごくうまいTranscription: monosugoku umaiTranslation: extremely tastyこのスープ、レシピには「 激うま」って書いてたけど、あんまりおいしくないね。Transcription: Kono sūpu, reshipi ni wa “” tte kaiteta kedo, anmari oishikunai ne.Translation: The recipe for this soup said “super tasty,” but it’s not very tasty, is it?
How to use 神 [kami]
神 transcribed kami is a noun that primarily means “god” or “deity,” but it can also mean “great being” or “super-talented or skilled person.” In colloquial Japanese, it has started to be used like an adjective that expresses excellence or perfection. The English equivalent can be “perfect,” “godlike,” “genius,” etc. The Japanese synonym includes すばらしい transcribed subarashiimeaning terrific; amazing, 完璧な transcribed kanpekinameaning perfect, and 非常に優れた transcribed hijōni suguretameaning supreme. Here are some phrases you may find online or social media:
- 神ゲーTranscription: kami gēTranslation: super fun games with exceptional contents and quality
- 神回Transcription: kami kaiTranslation: an exceptionally well-crafted and entertaining episode in a serial dramas, anime, and manga
- 神対応Transcription: kami taiōTranslation: excellent customer service that goes way beyond normal expectation
- 神プレーTranscription: kami purēTranslation: a genius playSpeaker A:ねえ、ねえ、昨日の試合見た？Transcription: Nē, nē, kinō no shiai mita?Translation: Hey, did you see the game yesterday?Speaker B:見た、見た！メッシの神プレー、超すごすぎ！Transcription: Mita, mita! Messhi no kami purē, chō sugosugi!Translation: I sure did! The godlike play by Messi was over the top!
In the example above, have you noticed that B uses three “excess” expressions in one short remark? We can surely do that when we are super excited in casual settings!
To sum up
In this post, we discussed how to express excess in Japanese by using the following phrases:
Verb (masu)
i-adjective
na-adjective
adverbすぎるTranscription: sugiruVerb (masu)
すぎTranscription: sugi(だ / ですTranscription: da / desu)In casual conversation...
Verb (masu)
i-adjective
na-adjectiveすぎTranscription: sugi
We also looked into some of the colloquial expressions that express excess, including:
超 transcribed chōmeaning super + noun / verb / adjective
激 transcribed gekimeaning extremely + adj. stem, V-masu
神 transcribed kamimeaning godlike + noun
As usual, make sure to check out our activities about expressing excess in Japanese to practice what is covered in this post. Happy learning!
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