Translation guide
The English phrase "to excess" means doing something too much, beyond what is normal or healthy. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through adverbs, verb endings, and set phrases rather than a single direct translation.
Expressing that an action is performed excessively, more than is appropriate or healthy.
Attach すぎる to the verb stem to mean 'do too much'. This is the most common and natural way to express excess in Japanese.
食べすぎた。
I ate too much.
働きすぎないでください。
Please don't work too much.
A formal adverb meaning 'excessively'. Used in written or formal contexts.
過度な飲酒は健康に悪い。
Excessive drinking is bad for your health.
Used before adjectives or verbs to mean 'too much' or 'excessively'. Often paired with すぎる for emphasis.
あまりにも高すぎる。
It's way too expensive.
Specifically referring to drinking too much alcohol.
The verb 飲む (drink) with すぎる. The most straightforward way to say 'drink to excess'.
昨日飲みすぎて頭が痛い。
I drank too much yesterday and have a headache.
Literally 'deep drinking', meaning heavy drinking or drinking to excess.
深酒は体に良くないよ。
Heavy drinking isn't good for you.
Spending money excessively or beyond one's means.
The verb 使う (spend/use) with すぎる. Natural for 'spend too much'.
今月はお金を使いすぎた。
I spent too much money this month.
A more formal term for 'waste' or 'squander', implying excessive and wasteful spending.
彼は給料を浪費してしまう。
He ends up squandering his salary.
Eating too much, overeating.
The verb 食べる (eat) with すぎる. The most common way to say 'eat too much'.
食べすぎてお腹が痛い。
I ate too much and my stomach hurts.
A medical or formal term for overeating or binge eating.
過食は健康問題を引き起こす。
Overeating causes health problems.
The suffix すぎる can be attached to almost any verb stem to express doing that action too much. It's the most versatile way to express 'to excess' in Japanese.
Avoid directly translating 'to excess' as a standalone phrase. Japanese prefers attaching すぎる to the specific verb or using adverbs like 過度に in formal contexts.