もうすぐ
mō sugu
The English phrase "soon" can be translated into Japanese as もうすぐ (mō sugu) or 近々.
Meaning: within a short time (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| もうすぐ | mō sugu | |
| 近々 | chikajika | [t͡ɕika̠ʑika̠] (narrow) [kʲĩŋʲkʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the choice of word for "soon" depends on how imminent the event is and the social context. もうすぐ is used for events that are imminent or very close to happening, often describing a state or a specific event that is about to occur, such as a change in season or a time of day. 近々 is used to mean "sometime in the near future" and is slightly more vague.
What does it mean word for word?
The word もうすぐ is composed of もう (already/more) and すぐ (immediately/soon).
Which one should you use?
もうすぐ refers to things that are imminent or very close to happening, often in a personal or casual context. In contrast, 近々 is more formal and slightly more vague, typically used in business or polite social settings to mean "in the near future".
How do you pronounce it?
mō sugu
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the concept of 'soon' can be expressed through the word 間もなく (manaku), which literally translates to 'without interval' and is the standard announcement heard on train platforms.
- The word 近々 is formed by repeating the root for 'close' and triggering 'rendaku', a linguistic process where the first consonant of the second word changes to sound heavier.
- If you are using 近々 in a business email, it functions as a polite way to avoid committing to a specific date or time while still sounding proactive.
Examples in context
- もうすぐ冬だ。Winter is coming soon.This sentence uses もうすぐ to describe an approaching season.Tatoeba #194427 by small_snow, translation #1052804 by CK
- ではまた近々。See you soon!This sentence uses 近々 to express a future meeting.Tatoeba #3506689 by arnab, translation #32672 by CK
- もうすぐ夏だ！Summer is coming soon!Tatoeba #11900734 by small_snow, translation #1141556 by sundown
- すぐに返事をくださいPlease reply soon
- まもなく出発いたしますWe will depart soon
- 彼は近いうちに戻りますHe will return soon
- もうすぐ会えるよWe'll meet soon
- すぐ行くからI'll be there soon
- 112 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are talking about a movie starting.
- 美咲 Misakiもうすぐ映画が始まるよ。mousugu eiga ga hajimaru yo.The movie is starting soon.
- 陽太 Yota本当だ、急ごう。hontou da, isogou.You're right, let's hurry.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太くん、準備はいい？Yota-kun, junbi wa ii?Yota, are you ready?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、大丈夫だよ。un, daijoubu da yo.Yeah, I'm good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soon” translations and entries 近々, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 近々, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
