Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘Sasuga’ means ‘as expected,’ ‘just as I thought,’ or ‘truly/indeed.’ It is used to praise someone’s skills or actions that live up to their reputation.
🎯 Primary Function
To acknowledge that a result or quality is consistent with a person’s reputation or a specific situation.
📋 Grammar Structure
さすが + [Noun / Verb Phrase]
さすがに + [I-Adjective]
さすが + [Noun] + だ/ですね
Not commonly used in a negative grammatical structure; “sasuga” implies a positive confirmation of quality.
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used carefully with superiors; it can sound slightly condescending if not phrased politely.
Informal Situations
Very common among friends and colleagues to give compliments.
Written Language
Common in literature and essays to describe character traits or inevitable results.
Spoken Language
Extremely common in daily conversation and TV commentary.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Admiration
Used to praise someone when they demonstrate skill or talent that matches their status.
Example: さすがプロですね！ (As expected of a professional!)
Natural Consequences (Sasuga ni)
Used when a situation leads to a natural, unavoidable result, often meaning ‘even so’ or ‘as one would expect.’
Example: さすがに疲れた。 (Naturally, I’m tired.)
Even for… (Sasuga no)
Used to show that even someone with a strong reputation was affected by something.
Example: さすがの彼も驚いた。 (Even he was surprised.)
Frequency
High
Difficulty
N4 – Intermediate
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
さすが田中さんですね。仕事が早いです。
Furigana: さすがたなかさんですね。しごとはやいです。
Romaji: Sasuga Tanaka-san desu ne. Shigoto ga hayai desu.
English: As expected of Tanaka-san, your work is so fast!
Example #2
彼は１位になった。さすがだ。
Furigana: かれはいちいになった。さすがだ。
Romaji: Kare wa ichii ni natta. Sasuga da.
English: He won first place. Just as I expected!
Example #3
試験に合格したの？さすがだね！
Furigana: しけんにごうかくしたの？さすがだね！
Romaji: Shiken ni goukaku shita no? Sasuga da ne!
English: You passed the exam? That’s just like you!
Example #4
さすがの私でも、この仕事量は無理だ。
Furigana: さすがのわたしでも、このしごとりょうはむりだ。
Romaji: Sasuga no watashi demo, kono shigoto ryou wa muri da.
English: Even I have reached my limit with this workload.
Example #5
5時間も歩いたので、さすがに疲れた。
Furigana: ごじかんもあるいたので、さすがにつかれた。
Romaji: Gojikan mo aruita node, sasuga ni tsukureta.
English: As expected, I’m tired after walking for five hours.
Example #6
さすがにこの暑さでは外に出たくない。
Furigana: さすがにこのあつさではそとにでたくない。
Romaji: Sasuga ni kono atsusa de wa soto ni detakunai.
English: Naturally, I don’t want to go outside in this heat.
Example #7
有名なレストランだけあって、さすがの味だ。
Furigana: ゆうめいなレストランだけあって、さすがのあじだ。
Romaji: Yuumei na resutoran dake atte, sasuga no aji da.
English: The food at this famous restaurant is truly excellent, as expected.
Example #8
日本に10年住んでいたいただけあって、さすがに日本語が上手だ。
Furigana: にほんにじゅうねんすんでいただけあって、さすがににほんごがじょうずだ。
Romaji: Nihon ni juunen sunde ita dake atte, sasuga ni Nihongo ga jouzu da.
English: He lived in Japan for ten years, so as expected, his Japanese is skillful.
Example #9
プロの選手はさすがだ。スピードが違う。
Furigana: プロのせんしゅはさすがだ。スピードがちがう。
Romaji: Puro no senshu wa sasuga da. Supiido ga chigau.
English: A professional athlete is truly impressive; their speed is different.
Example #10
辛いものが好きだが、これはさすがに辛すぎる。
Furigana: からいものがすきだが、これはさすがにからすぎる。
Romaji: Karai mono ga suki da ga, kore wa sasuga ni karasugiru.
English: I usually like spicy food, but as expected, this is too spicy even for me.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The ‘Sasuga ni’ variation
‘Sasuga ni’ often indicates a ‘tipping point’ where even a patient person or a strong situation leads to a specific reaction.
Example: さすがに怒った。 (As expected, I got angry.)
Confirmation of Reputation
It confirms that the quality lives up to the high reputation of the place or chef.
Example: さすがに美味しい！ (Truly delicious!)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ‘Sasuga!’ to a high-ranking boss without honorifics.
✅ さすがですね！ (Sasuga desu ne!)
Using ‘Sasuga’ alone to a superior can be too casual. Adding ‘desu ne’ makes it a polite compliment.
❌ Using ‘Sasuga’ for a negative expectation (e.g., ‘As I expected, he failed’).
✅ やはり (Yahari) or やっぱり (Yappari)
‘Sasuga’ implies a sense of admiration, while ‘Yappari’ is more neutral for ‘as I thought.’
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Generally polite when used with ‘desu,’ but carries a nuance of ‘evaluating’ someone, so use with caution toward superiors.
Social Situations: Highly used in sports, workplace accomplishments, and when someone shows great knowledge.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
Sasuga vs. Yahari
‘Sasuga’ includes admiration/praise; ‘Yahari’ is a neutral ‘as expected.’
When to use: Use ‘Sasuga’ when you are impressed.
📝 Conjugation Notes
‘Sasuga’ is often used as an adverb (sasuga ni), a noun/na-adjective (sasuga da), or followed by ‘no’ to modify a noun (sasuga no [Noun]).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Accent falls slightly on the ‘su’ (SA-su-ga). In exclamation, the ‘ga’ can be drawn out slightly for emphasis.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘Sasuga’ as ‘Success-ga.’ When someone has success that matches their skill, you say ‘Sasuga!’
Other Grammar
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.