すぐに
すぐに
adverb
immediately, right away
1.
immediately, right away, at once
Without delay or very soon.
すぐに来てください。
Please come right away.
電話があったら、すぐに知らせてください。
If there's a phone call, please let me know immediately.
駅はすぐに見つかった。
I found the station right away.
雨が降ってきたので、すぐに家に帰った。
It started raining, so I went home right away.
先生に聞いたら、すぐに答えてくれた。
When I asked the teacher, they answered right away.
すぐに has two core meanings: immediately (time) and right there (proximity/distance).
TIME (immediately):
- すぐに来てください: please come right away
- すぐに分かった: I understood immediately
PROXIMITY (nearby):
- すぐそこ: right there, very close
- 駅はすぐそばだ: the station is right nearby
VARIANT:
すぐ can be used without に with the same meaning. すぐに is slightly more emphatic.
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 直ちに: immediately (formal, often used in announcements and official contexts)
- 今すぐ: right now (more urgent than すぐに)
- もうすぐ: soon, shortly (indicates something is about to happen, NOT immediate)
- さっそく: promptly, without delay (implies willingness or eagerness)
COMMON MISTAKE:
もうすぐ means "soon" (in the near future), while すぐに means "immediately" (without delay). These are not interchangeable.