よく

よ

く

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 200

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial form of 良い, used to describe doing something in a good, proper, or skillful manner.

〈事こと〉がよく分わかるto understand something well
彼かれの説せつ明めいはよく分わかった。
I understood his explanation well.
〈人ひと〉によく会あうto often meet someone
駅えきで彼かの女じょによく会あう。
I often run into her at the station.
よく〈動どう詞し〉てくれましたthank you for doing ... (expressing gratitude for a kind or welcome act)
よく来きてくれましたね、ありがとう。
I'm so glad you came, thank you.
よくも〈動どう詞し〉ねhow dare you...; I don't know how you can...
よくもそんなことが言いえるね。
I can't believe you have the nerve to say that.
〈物もの〉がよく見みえるto be able to see something clearly
ここからは遠とおくの山やまがよく見みえる。
From here you can see the distant mountains clearly.
〈場ば所しょ〉によく行いくto often go to a place
週しゅう末まつはあのカフェによく行いく。
I often go to that café on weekends.

よくあるcommon; frequent; often the case
よくなるbecome better; improve
よくやったwell done!; good job!; you did it!
よくしたものconvenient thing; well-made thing; harmonious thing · things always work out
良よくも悪わるくもfor better or worse; both good and bad

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上手じょうずN5sense 1
よく describes doing something in a good or proper way, while 上手 is a na-adjective meaning skillful, often combined with に to form a similar adverbial phrase.
しばしばN3sense 2
よく is the everyday word for 'often', while しばしば is more formal or literary and used less in casual speech.
しっかりN4sense 1
よく can describe doing something properly, while しっかり emphasizes firmness or steadiness in how it's done.
たびたびN3sense 2
よく simply means 'often', while たびたび stresses repeated occurrences and can sound slightly more formal.

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よくもN1
よく is a neutral adverb meaning 'well' or 'often', while よくも adds an emotional charge of indignation or surprise to the same idea.
ちょくちょくN1
よく is the general, everyday word for 'often', while ちょくちょく specifically evokes light, casual repetition at short intervals.
しょっちゅうN2
よく means 'often' in a neutral, moderate sense, while しょっちゅう is more casual and emphatic, suggesting near-constant frequency.
しばしばN2
よく is the everyday, casual word for 'often', while しばしば sounds more formal or literary and emphasizes repetition.
時とき々どきN5
よく means 'often' or 'frequently', describing a higher frequency than 時々.
頻ひん繁ぱんN2
よく is a casual, everyday word for 'often,' while 頻繁 is more formal and specifically stresses frequency of repetition.

余あまりN5sense 2
よく with an affirmative verb means 'often', while あまり with a negative verb means 'not very often', making them opposite in frequency expressions.
滅めっ多たにN3
よく paired with a positive verb means 'often', the opposite of 滅多に which pairs with a negative verb to mean 'rarely'.

よくよくN1
よく simply means 'well' or 'often', while よくよく is an emphatic doubling used for careful examination, extreme degree, or unavoidable circumstances.

仲なか良よくN1
on good terms; getting along well; harmoniously
運うん良よくN1
luckily; fortunately
よくよくN1
carefully; thoroughly; closely · very; extremely; exceedingly · unavoidable; have no choice; cannot be helped
体てい良よく
plausibly; tactfully; gracefully
品ひん良よく
properly; in a good manner; sophisticatedly; seemly; in a dignified way

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よくUsage97%
Kana spelling is standard for all senses; kanji forms are rare or restricted.
良よくUsage2%
Kanji form for the 'well/properly' sense; less common than kana.
能よくUsage<1%
Rare kanji for 'skillfully'; mostly in older texts.
善よくUsage<1%
Rare kanji for 'morally good'; not used in modern writing.
克よくUsage<1%
Rare kanji for 'well'; not used in modern writing.
好よく
Rare kanji for 'nicely'; not used in modern writing.

Adverbial form of the adjective 良い (よい), from Old Japanese yoshi. The adverbial form yoku developed regularly.