一般的に
ippanteki ni
To say "in general" in Japanese, use 一般的に (ippanteki ni).
一般的に is used to establish a general trend, a commonality or a broad truth. It is typically placed at the beginning of a sentence to set the context for the information that follows.
Meaning: generally (prep_phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
This is followed by the particle に (ni), which turns the adjective into an adverb.
Which one should you use?
While 一般的に is the standard way to say "in general", you may encounter the form 一般的には. Adding the particle は (wa) to the end creates a version that means "generally speaking" or "as for generalities," which is frequently used to set a general rule or premise before moving on to a specific observation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 一般的には is created by adding the particle は to the end of 一般的に.
How do you pronounce it?
ippanteki ni
Did you know?
- When buying tickets for a concert or event in Japan, 'general admission' is referred to as 一般入場 (ippan nyūjō), utilizing the same root as the adverb for 'generally'.
- In casual daily conversation, Japanese speakers rarely use the formal 一般的に and instead rely on だいたい (daitai) to express that something is 'mostly' or 'generally' true.
- If you want to say 'in general' regarding a person's character rather than a statistical trend, you would rarely use 一般的に and would instead use words like おおむね (oomune).
Examples in context
- 一般的に、小さな女の子は人形が好きだ。In general, little girls are fond of dolls.This sentence shows how to use 一般的に to describe a general preference.Tatoeba #190146 by bunbuku, translation #27304 by CS
- 一般的に、子供はアイスクリームが好きだよね。In general, kids like ice cream.This sentence uses 一般的に to state a common liking among children.Tatoeba #8612268 by small_snow, translation #5151939 by AlanF_US
- 一般的には、男性の方が女性より背が高いです。In general, men are taller than women.This sentence uses 一般的に to establish a general observation about height.Tatoeba #10325883 by small_snow, translation #5754327 by Cainntear
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himi and Ren are discussing Japanese food.
- 陽葵 Himari日本料理は、一般的に健康的だと言われています。Nihon ryōri wa, ippanteki ni kenkōteki da to iwarete imasu.Japanese food is generally said to be healthy.
- 蓮 Ren確かにそうだけど、塩分が多い料理もあるよね。Tashika ni sō dakedo, enbun ga ōi ryōri mo aru yo ne.That's true, but there are some dishes with a lot of salt.
- 陽葵 Himariそうだね。でも、野菜をたくさん使うしね。Sō da ne. Demo, yasai o takusan tsukau shi ne.True. But we use a lot of vegetables.
- 蓮 Renそこは同意するよ。Soko wa dōi suru yo.I agree with you on that.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
