もちろん

• Reading: もちろん
• Romaji: mochiron
• Pronunciation: /mo.tɕi.ɾoɴ/

Meaning

Of course; certainly; naturally. Used to affirm something as obvious or self-evident.

An adverb expressing strong affirmation. Often used at the start of a response to confirm agreement. もちろんです is the polite form. Can also be written 勿論 in kanji but hiragana is far more common in modern writing. Frequently appears in the pattern もちろん…も (of course … too).

Examples

1. 明日のパーティーに来ますか。もちろん行きます。 Are you coming to tomorrow's party? Of course I'm going.
2. もちろん手伝いますよ。遠慮しないでください。 Of course I'll help. Don't hesitate to ask.
3. 日本語はもちろん、英語も話せます。 She speaks not only Japanese, but English as well, of course.

Usage Guide

Context: agreement, affirmation, conversation

Tone: confident

Origin & History

From 勿論 — 勿 (motsu, do not) + 論 (ron, discuss/argue). Literally means it goes without saying or there is no need to debate it. The thing is so obvious that discussion is unnecessary.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal