ごく

• Reading: ごく
• Romaji: goku
• Kanji breakdown: 極 (goku/kyoku) — extreme, utmost, pole
• Pronunciation: /ɡo.kɯ/

Meaning

Quite; very; extremely. An intensifier used to emphasise that something is to a remarkable degree.

An adverb typically written in hiragana, though the kanji 極 exists. Placed directly before adjectives or certain nouns to intensify them: ごく普通 (perfectly ordinary), ごく少数 (very few), ごく一部 (only a small part). Unlike とても, which is broadly versatile, ごく tends to pair with a limited set of words and sounds more restrained and formal.

Examples

1. それはごく普通のことだから気にしないで。 That's perfectly normal, so don't worry about it.
2. この情報を知っているのはごく一部の人だけだ。 Only a very small number of people know this information.
3. ごくまれにこんな天気になることがある。 Very rarely, the weather turns out like this.

Usage Guide

Context: emphasis, writing, formal speech

Tone: restrained

Origin & History

From the kanji 極 (goku/kyoku), meaning 'extreme' or 'utmost.' The character combines 木 (tree) and 亟 (urgently), originally referring to the ridgepole of a roof — the highest point.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal