N2 Miscellaneous Adverbs
This page explains some adverbs that didn’t fit elsewhere that may be a little tricky.
直ちに
Immediately
Directly
直ちに has 2 meanings:
- Immediately; (今すぐ）
- Directly (直接）
Technically, it means “Directly” or “Leaving no space, events, or time in between”.
You may be able to combine these meanings by thinking of “directly” as “Do it directly(now).
直ちに tends to be a little formal in feeling.
(Weblio)
Immediately
By far the usual and most common meaning. This meaning is the same as 今すぐ.
- 直ちに取り掛かった – Immediately set about doing it.
- 試合が終わったら直ちに帰ってください – Please go home as soon as the match is over.
- 何かあれば直ちに報告すべきだ – If something happens you should report it immediately.
Directly
直ちに can also mean refer to physical distance OR direct causation, although 直接 is usually preferred.
This meaning tends to be used with 面している, つながっている or similar words.
- 直ちに面している – Directly facing (something.
- 直ちにつながっているわけではない – It doesn’t mean its directly connected to…
わずかに
Barely (any)
わずか is a な adjective, meaning “Barely Any”. わずかに means “Just barely”.
It is usually used to mean “barely any“, but may sometimes mean “Barely able“.
It is typically used with intransitive (state) verbs.
Barely Any
Most common usage.
- アイフェル塔はわずかに傾いている – The Eiffel Tower is barely tilting.
- 彼女はわずかにほほ笑んだ – She smiled a tiny bit.
- 問題を解決できる見込みはわずかにある – There’s a small chance we can solve this problem.
Barely Able
Less common usage. Has a tendency to use potential form.
- わずかに解決できた – Just barely able to solve the problem.
- わずかに逃れた – Just barely able to avoid it.
幸いに
Fortunately
幸い is a な adjective that means “Happily” or “Fortunately”. Its usage is pretty straightforward.
It is commonly used with ことに as 幸いなことに.
Examples
- 幸いに怪我人はいなかった – Fortunately, no one was hurt.
- ミスをしたが、幸いに誰にも気づかなかった – I made a mistake, but fortunately no one noticed.
- 幸いなことに、手遅れになる前に止めた – Fortunately, we stopped it before it was too late.