スーパー
sūpā-[sɨːpa̠ː]
In Japanese, the word for super can be expressed as スーパー (sūpā-).
The word スーパー is a colloquial shorthand for 'supermarket' in everyday Japanese. It can also function as a prefix meaning 'super' or 'ultra', as seen in the term 'superhero'.
Meaning: better than usual (adj)
Which one should you use?
While スーパー can act as a prefix to mean 'super' or 'ultra', it is much more frequently encountered in daily life as a noun meaning 'supermarket'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal word めっちゃ (Meccha), meaning 'super' or 'really', is especially common in Kansai region dialects.
How do you pronounce it?
sūpā-
Did you know?
- The phrase めっちゃ (meccha) can be used to mean 'super' or 'very', but it is so regional that using it in Tokyo might sound like you are intentionally imitating an Osaka dialect.
- The Latin root 'super', meaning 'over', is the ancestor of the English 'super' and the Japanese katakana スーパー (sūpā), but the Japanese version has undergone a complete functional shift in daily usage.
- In Japanese pop culture, the prefix スーパー is often added to words to denote a 'powered-up' state, such as スーパーサイヤ人 (Super Saiyan) in Dragon Ball.
Examples in context
- 近所に激安スーパーがあればなあ。I wish there were a super discount supermarket in the neighbourhood.This sentence shows how スーパー is used to refer to a discount supermarket.Tatoeba #3122405 by tommy_san, translation #3129156 by WestofEden
- あなたのお気に入りのスーパーヒーローは誰ですか。Who's your favorite super hero?This sentence demonstrates the use of スーパー as a prefix in 'superhero'.Tatoeba #1050562 by bunbuku, translation #908751 by CK
- スーパーボウルを見るために会社を休んでいた事もありました。I've sometimes taken time off work to watch the Super Bowl.This sentence uses スーパー as part of the name 'Super Bowl'.Tatoeba #74262 by fcbond, translation #329458 by fcbond
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hana and Daigoto are talking about their weekend plans.
- 陽葵 Himari今週末はスーパーで買い物をしよう。Konshūmatsu wa sūpā de kaimono o shiyō.Let's go shopping at the supermarket this weekend.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね。どこに行きましょうか。Ii desu ne. Doko ni ikimashō ka.That sounds good. Where shall we go?
- 陽葵 Himari駅前の新しいスーパーに行きたいです。Ekimae no atarashii sūpā ni ikitai desu.I want to go to the new supermarket in front of the station.
- 大翔 Hirotoあそこなら品揃えが良さそうですね。Asoko nara shinazorae ga yosasō desu ne.They seem to have a good selection there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry スーパー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries スーパー, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
