Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 3: 20/22

ちゃんと

Properly, Neatly, Orderly, Sufficiently, Decently

Structure

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

(1) きちんと

Details

  • Register

    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About ちゃんと・きちんと

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)を買(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)にはきちんとした服装(ふくそう)で来(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)が来(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)の掃除(そうじ)をしなさい。
    You have to clean your room properly before you go out and play.

Examples

  • 母親(ははおや)は子供(こども)に言(い)う：「お祖母(ばあ)さんが来(く)る前(まえ)に部屋(へや)をきちんと片付(かたづ)けしなさい！」

    Mother speaks to a child: 'Clean your room properly before grandma comes!'

  • 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!'

  • 親(おや)が子供(こども)に聞(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?'

  • アルバイトの面接(めんせつ)：「独(ひと)りで暮(く)らせるように、何(なに)かちゃんとした仕事(しごと)を見(み)つけたいのです。」

    Part-time job interview: 'I want to find a proper job so that I can live by myself.'

  • 書(か)き方(かた)について教師(きょうし)が学生(がくせい)に言(い)う：「この言葉(ことば)読(よ)みにくいね。もっときちんと書(か)きましょう。」

    A teacher speaks to a student about the way of writing: 'This word is hard to read. Let's write it more neatly (properly).'

    The volitional form is often used by teachers. The nuance in this case is that the student should do it (not the teacher and the student).

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ちゃんと・きちんと – Grammar Discussion

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