なかんずく

also: なかんづく

な

か

ん

ず

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

adverb

especially; above all; particularly

usually written using kana alone

A somewhat formal or literary adverb used to single out the most important item among several. Often appears in written Japanese or formal speech.

彼かれは多

おお

く

の

趣しゅ

味み

を

持も

っ

て

いる

が

、

なかんずく

読どく

書しょ

が

好す

き

だ

。

He has many hobbies, but he especially likes reading.

この地ち域いきは自し然ぜんが豊ゆたかで、なかんずく湖みずうみの美うつくしさは格かく別べつだ。

This area is rich in nature, and above all, the beauty of the lake is exceptional.

Kanji

就concerning, settle, take position
中in, inside, middle

Related words

特とくに
特に is the most common and neutral way to say 'especially' in everyday Japanese. なかんずく is more formal and literary.
とりわけ
とりわけ also means 'especially' or 'among other things', but is slightly less formal than なかんずく and more common in spoken Japanese.

Written forms

Applies to each form listed below

gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun

なかんずくUsage83%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 就中 is rare and literary.
就中Usage15%
- なかんずく
  Rare kanji form; the reading is a gikun/jukujikun.
- なかんづく

Etymology

Derived from the classical Japanese phrase 中にも就き (naka ni mo tsuki), meaning 'among them, concerning'. The modern form なかんずく is a contraction.

なかんづく

Usage2%

Alternate reading with voiced づ; less common.