taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Archaic 'taru' adjective/adverb describing a slow, gradual, or steady progression. In modern Japanese, 徐々に is the standard adverbial form.
taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
Archaic use describing a calm or composed state. Rarely used in modern Japanese; the adverbial form 徐々に does not carry this meaning.
The condition of the illness gradually improved.
He remained calm and unperturbed.
だんだん is a casual, everyday way to express gradual change, whereas 徐々 is a literary, archaic term rarely used outside its adverbial form.
gradually; slowly; little by little
Standard modern spelling.
Older kanji form; still encountered but less common than 徐々.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 徐 carries the meaning of 'slowly' or 'gradually', and the reduplication 徐々 emphasizes the gradual nature.