段々(だんだん)Gradually, Little by little, Step by step

Structure

だんだん + （と） + Phrase

Details

About だんだん

だんだん is an adverb that is used to express the slight, but constant, progression of something. Originally, it comes from the kanji construction 段々(だんだん), which can be thought of as meaning 'step by step', 'stepwise', or even 'steadily'. だんだん is similar to ほとんど, in that it can modify the meaning of entire phrases, rather than just single words.

To use だんだん, simply put it before the phrase that you want to express as '(A) that is increasing steadily'.

While だんだん can take the particle と, it is not required. In fact, と is very often omitted from adverbs/onomatopoeic words (words that represent a sound or motion) in Japanese.

Caution

Initially, it can be easy to mix-up だんだん, with どんどん. どんどん is an onomatopoeic word that represents loud banging (like on a drum), so is used to express fast changes/progression. This is unlike だんだん, which expresses slower changes/progression.

Examples

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先輩(せんぱい)が後輩(こうはい)に話(はな)している：「大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)、だんだん上手(じょうず)になるよ。」

A senpai speaking to their kouhai: 'Don't worry, you will become better gradually.'

友達(ともだち)が話(はな)している：「秋(あき)になったからこれからだんだん寒(さむ)くなるよね。」

Friends talking: 'Autumn is here, so it will gradually become cooler, don't you think?'

英語(えいご)の教師(きょうし)が生徒(せいと)の親(おや)と話(はな)している、教師(きょうし)：「娘(むすめ)さんはだんだん英語(えいご)がうまくなってきました。」

An English teacher talking with a student's parents, teacher: 'Your daughter has been gradually improving in speaking English.'

友達(ともだち)が話(はな)している：「だんだんとあのやつの事(こと)が嫌(きら)いになってきていて、今(いま)は避(さ)けるようにしている。」

Chat between friends: 'I gradually came to dislike that guy, and now I do my best to avoid him.'

お母(かあ)さんが子供(こども)と話(はな)している：「あなたはだんだんおかしを食(た)べたくなくなる。」

A mother speaking with a child: 'You will gradually lose interest in sweets.'

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だんだん – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (9 in total)

Pushindawood
gradually
little by little
step by step
Structure
- だんだん + (と) + Phrase
View on Bunpro
Mangor
Hello, I’m just learning this new grammar but I don’t understand why sometime you have to add the と and sometime not. Is there a rule ?
mrnoone
Hey

だんだん is an onomatopoeia, basically a word created to imitate a sound. と is our favorite quotation particle.
Basically, it’s like quoted sound.

Adverbs like that are very common in Japanese, and we call them と adverbs.
Usually, if the sound is repeated, like in だんだん case, you can skip と if you want.
If the sound appears only once (it is not duplicated) then you have to use と.

That’s basically it (though very simplified).
I hope it helps, cheers
Mangor
Oooh I didn’t thought it was the quotation と does it also mean you can drop it in casual speech but have to use it in formal or written cases ?

Thank you !
mrnoone
Hey

Theoretically, だんだんと would be more correct, but dropping と is extremely common, even in writing.

In addition to that, 徐々に（じょじょに）is a word that fits writing a bit more.
deltacat3
In this example sentence there are a three points I am unsure about.

友達が話している：「だんだんあのやつの事が嫌いなってきていて、今は避けるようにしている。」
Chat between friends: “I gradually came to dislike that guy, and now I do my best to avoid him.”

My interpretation of these three…
- あのやつの事
  That guy’s… (actions?; events?, I am unsure what this is meant to convey)
- 嫌いなってきていて
  Have come to dislike(ing?) (does the いる here signify a continuing state?)
- 避けるようにしてる。
  Doing things similar to avoiding? (I… I… can’t even… help me!)
I am a little shaky on what these parts are trying to convey here. Any insight would be oh so much appreciated! (´・ω・｀)
mrnoone
Hey
Very good questions, I will do my best to answer them

deltacat3:

あのやつの事
That guys… (actions?; events?, I am unsure what this is meant to convey)

someone/something + のこと means more or less “about”/“things about” someone/something, it is very common phrasing, though in most cases literal translation doesn’t work well. You can hear it very often in anime with 好き、like in 「彼のこと、大好き」
I love (things about) hi...
deltacat3

mrnoone:

I hope it helps, cheers!

Like you wouldn’t believe! Thank you, thank you so much!
deltacat3

インタビューした学生：「折り紙は初めは難しくてできないと思ったけど、だんだん慣れてくると折れるようになりました。」
Interviewed student: “Speaking of origami, at first I thought it was hard and I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I gradually got accustomed and reached a point where I could do it.”

What is the と after 慣れてくる expressing in this statement?
Pushindawood
@deltacat3 This と is the conditional, “if・when” と from this lesson. It would probably be better to think of it as “once” in this sentence to make the phrase “once I got accustomed,” but it sounds a bit strange to say “once I gradually got accustomed” in English. I hope this helps!