Grammar Info
N3 Lesson 3: 20/22

ちゃんと
Properly, Neatly, Orderly, Sufficiently, Decently

Structure
ちゃん(1) + Phrase
ちゃん(1) + した + Noun
ちゃん(1) + している

(1) きちん
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
In Japanese, two 副詞(ふくし) (adverbs) that are used to express very similar ideas are ちゃんと, and きちんと. These words may be used either at the beginning of a sentence (to modify the meaning of the whole sentence), or before verbs. ちゃんと and きちんと both translate quite closely to ‘properly’, or ‘neatly’.
  • ちゃんと宿題(しゅくだい)した?
    Did you properly do your homework?
  • ちゃんと野菜(やさい)も食(た)べなさい
    Properly eat your vegetables too!
  • 今度(こんど)からはもっとちゃんとした車(くるま)買(か)おう。
    From now on, I should buy a proper car. (From now on, I'm not going to cheap out on a car)
  • 結婚式(けっこんしき)きちんとした服装(ふくそう)来(き)てください
    Please come to the wedding dressed properly.
Fun Fact
Historically, ちゃんと was also used to convey ‘quickly’. However, it is almost never used for this purpose in modern Japanese. Despite this, both ちゃんと and きちんと do have a slight nuance of doing something ‘without dawdling’. This can mostly be attributed to the base meaning of ‘properly’ also implying that something is not done lazily.
  • 社長(しゃちょう)来(き)たぞ。ちゃんと立(た)て。
    The CEO is here. Stand up, quick! (Stand up now, quickly, don’t slouch)
  • 遊(あそ)びに行(い)く前(まえ)にきちんと部屋(へや)掃除(そうじ)なさい
    You have to clean your room properly before you go out and play.
Slow Male
Hide All
Hide Japanese
Hide English
母親(ははおや)は子供(こども)言(い)う:「お祖母(ばあ)さん来(く)る前(まえ)部屋(へや)きちんと片付(かたづ)けしなさい!」
Mother speaks to a child: "Clean your room properly before grandma comes!"
Play  
優(やさ)しい次長(じちょう):「昼休(ひるやす)みなんだからちゃんと休(やす)んでね。」
部下(ぶか):「はい! わかりました、次長(じちょう)!」
Gentle vice-director: "It’s lunch, so take a proper break."
Subordinate: "Yes! Understood, vice-director!"
Play  
親(おや)が子供(こども)聞(き)く:「ちゃんと宿題(しゅくだい)したの?」
A parent is asking a child: "Have you properly done your homework?"
Play  
Online
Nihongo Master
Nihongo Master
Books
Tobira
Page 334