Word
段々
Meaning in Englishgradually, little by little
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
段々 means gradually; it describes a change or progression that unfolds in small, successive steps, conveying steady development over time.
Main meanings
- incremental change that unfolds over time
- to describe a trend or change that becomes more pronounced or intense
- often used with だんだんと to emphasize the ongoing nature of the change
How to use it
Used in both spoken and written Japanese to describe a progression that unfolds gradually; common in formal and casual contexts; often placed before verbs or adjectives and frequently accompanied by だんだんと to intensify the sense of progression.
Variants and close terms
- jojo ni, 徐々に — gradual progression
- shidai ni, 次第に — gradual change with a sense of sequence
- dandan to, だんだんと — stronger adverbial form
Composition
- 段: step, tier; 々: repetition marker indicating repetition or continuation; combined they express a sequence of steps leading to gradual change
Etymology
段 means step or level, while 々 is the repetition indicator; together they convey the idea of repeated steps and gradual progression.
Origin
Native to Japanese; a native kanji compound used in classical and modern language, signaling gradual change across contexts.
Word class
adverb (副詞)