What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the adverb totemo (very) and the adjective utsukushii (beautiful).
Which one should you use?
Utsukushii is often used for profound, aesthetic or sublime beauty (like a landscape or art), whereas kirei can also mean "clean" or "tidy." While utsukushii is elegant and formal, kirei is a more common, conversational way to say beautiful or pretty.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
とても美しい is a formal expression. For a more casual setting, you can use すごくキレイ. For an energetic and colloquial tone, you might use すげえきれい. If you wish to be polite when speaking to strangers or superiors, add です to the end to form とても美しいです.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something "was" so beautiful, change the ending to the past tense form とても美しかった.
How do you pronounce it?
totemo utsukushii
Did you know?
- Japanese has a unique aesthetic concept called wabi-sabi, where beauty is found in imperfection and decay. This means something can be considered 'beautiful' precisely because it is cracked, old or asymmetrical.
- In traditional Japanese aesthetics, the phrase mono no aware describes a 'beautiful' sadness, where the beauty of an object is heightened by the fact that it is temporary.
- The word kirei can be written with the kanji 綺麗, where the first character 綺 refers to 'beautiful silk'. This highlights how the concept of beauty in Japan was historically tied to luxury textiles.
Examples in context
- ハワイの海はとても美しいんですよ。The Hawaiian ocean is so beautiful.This sentence is useful for describing the beauty of the Hawaiian ocean using とても美しい.Tatoeba #197781 by KK_kaku_, translation #34969 by orcrist
- とても美しい。どこで手に入れたんだ？It's so beautiful. Where did you get it?This sentence is useful for expressing admiration for an object using とても美しい.Tatoeba #9549776 by small_snow, translation #3680233 by Hybrid
- この景色はとても美しいですね。Kono keshiki wa totemo utsukushii desu ne.This scenery is so beautiful, isn't it?
Example conversation
Hiyori and Kenta are looking at a sunset at the beach.
- 健太 Kenta見て、夕日がとても美しいよ。Mite, yūhi ga totemo utsukushii yo.Look, the sunset is so beautiful.
- 陽葵 Himari本当にそうね。感動しちゃうわ。Hontō ni sō ne. Kandō shichau wa.It really is. I'm so moved.
- 健太 Kenta写真を撮っておこうか。Shashin o totte okō ka.Shall we take a photo?
- 陽葵 Himariいい考えね。お願い、健太さん。Ii kangae ne. Onegai, Kenta-san.That's a good idea. Please, Kenta.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
