Translation guide
Describes events, actions, or items occurring in rapid, continuous succession. Japanese uses adverbs, verb forms, and set phrases to convey this idea, with nuances of speed, order, and sometimes negative connotation.
To describe multiple things or events happening quickly one after the other, often with a sense of continuous flow.
The most common and neutral way to say 'one after another'. Used for events, people, or things occurring in sequence.
観光客が次々にバスから降りてきた。
Tourists got off the bus one after another.
新しい店が次々にオープンしている。
New shops are opening one after another.
Emphasizes a continuous stream, often used for people or things arriving in large numbers.
ファンが続々と会場に集まった。
Fans gathered at the venue one after another.
Used for events happening in quick succession, often with a nuance of relentlessness or without pause.
立て続けに問題が発生した。
Problems occurred one after another.
To describe things happening in a fixed order, one by one, without necessarily implying speed.
Means 'in turn' or 'in order'. Focuses on the sequence rather than speed.
生徒たちは順番に発表した。
The students gave their presentations one after another.
Literally 'from next to next', emphasizes a continuous chain of events or items.
次から次へと客が来る。
Customers come one after another.
To express that unfortunate events occur in succession, often with a sense of being overwhelmed.
Commonly used in news or formal contexts for incidents or accidents occurring one after another.
事故が相次いで発生した。
Accidents happened one after another.
Similar to 次々に but can carry a slightly more dramatic or negative nuance when used with bad events.
悪い知らせが次々と届いた。
Bad news arrived one after another.
To describe multiple people performing the same action sequentially.
Means 'alternately' or 'taking turns', used when people replace each other in an action.
子どもたちは代わる代わるブランコに乗った。
The children got on the swing one after another.
A shorter, more casual version of 順番に.
次々に is the most general and can be used for any sequence. 続々と emphasizes a large, continuous influx, often of people or things arriving. 続々と is not used for actions performed by the same subject repeatedly.
English 'one after another' is often not translated word-for-word. Using 一つ後にもう一つ is unnatural. Choose the appropriate adverb based on context.
客が次々に到着した。
The guests arrived one after another.
彼女は立て続けに質問した。
She asked questions one after another.
Please introduce yourselves one after another.