突如(とつじょ)

とつじょ
adverb
suddenly, all of a sudden
formalwrittentime-general
1. suddenly, all of a sudden, without warning
Describes something happening abruptly and unexpectedly. A formal, written-style adverb often found in news reports, novels, and formal speech.
突如(とつじょ)として雨(あめ)が降(ふ)り出(だ)した。
Rain suddenly began to fall.
会議中(かいぎちゅう)に突如(とつじょ)停電(ていでん)が起(お)きた。
A power outage occurred suddenly during the meeting.
彼(かれ)は突如(とつじょ)姿(すがた)を消(け)し、その後(ご)誰(だれ)も連絡(れんらく)が取(と)れなくなった。
He suddenly disappeared, and after that no one could reach him.

Usage

突如(とつじょ) is more formal and literary than 突然(とつぜん) (suddenly). It often appears with the particle として as 突如(とつじょ)として, which adds a slightly more dramatic tone. In casual speech, 突然(とつぜん) or いきなり are preferred.

Common collocations

Similar words

突然(とつぜん) is the standard, all-purpose word for "suddenly" used in both speech and writing. いきなり is casual and emphasizes abruptness. 突如(とつじょ) is the most formal of the three and is mainly found in written or news-style Japanese.

Related Words

Synonym: 突然(とつぜん) (suddenly (common))
general
Added 2026.2.27 12:10 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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