Translation guide
Describes something happening unexpectedly, quickly, and without warning. Japanese uses various adverbs and phrases depending on the nuance: suddenness, abruptness, or out of nowhere.
To express that an action or event occurs abruptly and unexpectedly.
The most common and neutral word for 'suddenly'. Works in both spoken and written Japanese.
All of a sudden, it started raining.
He suddenly left the room.
Very common in casual speech. Emphasizes the quickness or abruptness of the change.
All of a sudden, my stomach started hurting.
He suddenly got angry.
Implies something happening without any prior notice or preamble, often with a nuance of rudeness or surprise. Common in casual contexts.
It's troubling if you say something like that all of a sudden.
He suddenly started singing out of nowhere.
Literary or formal. Emphasizes unexpectedness, often used in written narratives.
All of a sudden, the door opened.
To emphasize that something happened spontaneously or from an unknown source.
To describe a change that is jarring or lacks a smooth transition.
Emphasizes abruptness and lack of context, often used for speech or actions that feel out of place.
He changed the subject all of a sudden.
突然 (totsuzen) is the safest, most neutral choice. 急に (kyuu ni) is slightly more casual and emphasizes speed. いきなり (ikinari) implies a lack of warning and can carry a negative nuance of rudeness or surprise. Use いきなり when someone does something without asking or when an event is completely out of the blue in a personal context.
Sorry for the sudden visit. (polite, neutral)
It got cold all of a sudden, huh? (casual, about quick change)
Don't hug me all of a sudden! (rude/surprising action)