当然

• 読み: とうぜん
• ローマ字: touzen
• 漢字の分解: 当 (tou) — appropriate, hit, apply; 然 (zen) — so, thus
• 発音: /toː.zeɴ/

意味

Obvious; natural; as a matter of course. Describes something that is expected or goes without saying.

A na-adjective, no-adjective, and adverb. As an adverb: 当然知っているでしょう (you obviously know, right?). As an adjective: 当然の結果 (the natural result). Also used as an interjection meaning 'of course!' (当然！). Implies that something should be expected and questioning it would be unreasonable. Stronger than もちろん (mochiron, of course), which is more conversational.

例文

1. 約束を破ったら怒られるのは当然だ。
2. 毎日練習していたので当然の結果だと思う。
3. 手伝ってくれるの？当然でしょう。

使い方ガイド

場面: argument, logic, daily life

トーン: assertive

起源と歴史

Compound of 当 (tou, to hit/apply/appropriate) and 然 (zen, so/thus/like that). Together, 'appropriately so' — something that naturally fits the situation.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal