Translation guide
Describes events, actions, or states that happen one after another in a sequence. Japanese uses various adverbs, verb forms, and compound structures to express this idea naturally.
Express that multiple events or actions occur in a continuous sequence, often with a sense of flow or repetition.
Adverb meaning 'one after another' or 'in rapid succession'. Used for events or actions that follow each other without much pause.
Problems occurred one after another.
Customers came into the store one after another.
Adverb meaning 'in quick succession' or 'one right after another', emphasizing the lack of interval between events.
The phone rang repeatedly in quick succession.
Pattern indicating repeated alternation or succession of actions. Often used to describe a cycle of doing something, then something else happens, repeatedly.
Writing and erasing, writing and erasing, I finally finished the letter.
Adverb meaning 'one after another' or 'in succession', often used in news or formal contexts for events like accidents, resignations, etc.
Scandals were uncovered one after another.
Adverb meaning 'continuously' or 'in a row'. Focuses on the unbroken sequence, often used with numbers or time periods.
He was late three days in a row.
Describe physical objects or people arranged consecutively, one after another in space.
Adverb describing a long line of things or people, often implying an impressive or orderly row.
The new products are lined up in a row.
Adverb meaning 'in a line' or 'in single file'. Neutral and straightforward.
The students lined up in a row.
Express consecutive days, months, years, or other time units.
次々に is neutral and can be used for any sequence. 続けざまに emphasizes the rapid, almost uninterrupted nature of the succession, often with a nuance of annoyance or intensity.
Questions came one after another.
I was bombarded with questions in quick succession and didn't know what to do.
With all this rain in succession, the laundry won't dry.