Translation guide
Expresses an extreme degree, often with a sense of surprise or emphasis. In Japanese, this is typically conveyed through adverbs, intensifying prefixes, or sentence-ending expressions.
信じられないほど美しい
incredibly beautiful
The most common use: emphasizing an adjective or verb to mean 'very' or 'extremely'.
Literally 'to an unbelievable extent'. A direct and natural equivalent for 'incredibly' when modifying adjectives or verbs.
彼女は信じられないほど美しい。
She is incredibly beautiful.
That movie was incredibly interesting.
A very common casual intensifier meaning 'tremendously' or 'incredibly'. Used in everyday speech.
今日はものすごく暑い。
It's incredibly hot today.
ものすごく疲れた。
I'm incredibly tired.
A formal and written equivalent of 'very' or 'extremely'. Suitable for essays, news, and polite speech.
この問題は非常に重要だ。
This issue is incredibly important.
A very common casual intensifier, slightly less emphatic than ものすごく. Used in daily conversation.
すごく楽しかった！
It was incredibly fun!
Means 'extraordinarily' or 'unthinkably'. Stronger and more dramatic than すごく. Often used in literature or emphatic speech.
とてつもなく大きな岩が落ちてきた。
An incredibly huge rock fell down.
Expresses that something is hard to believe, often with a nuance of astonishment.
A phrase meaning 'unbelievably' or 'incredibly', used at the beginning of a sentence to express surprise.
信じられないことに、彼は試験に合格した。
Incredibly, he passed the exam.
Means 'surprisingly' or 'astonishingly'. More formal than 信じられないことに.
驚くべきことに、その町は一夜にして復興した。
Incredibly, the town was rebuilt overnight.
信じられないほど is a direct translation and works in both formal and casual contexts. ものすごく is more colloquial and emphasizes intensity. For formal writing, 非常に is preferred.
信じられないほど美しい景色だった。
It was an incredibly beautiful view.
ものすごく美しい景色だった。
It was an incredibly beautiful view. (casual)
Using 信じられない alone (without ほど) means 'I can't believe it' and does not function as an intensifier. Always use 信じられないほど when modifying adjectives or verbs.
料理は信じられないほど美味しかった。
The food was incredibly delicious.