超(ちょう)〜

ちょう
prefix
super-; ultra-; extremely
1. super-; ultra-; extremely
Productive prefix meaning 'super-' or 'ultra-'. In compounds it conveys exceeding the normal or expected level, while in casual speech it works as an intensifier roughly equivalent to 'super' or 'really'.
今日(きょう)は超(ちょう)楽(たの)しかった。
Today was super fun.
超(ちょう)特急(とっきゅう)は普通(ふつう)の特急(とっきゅう)より速(はや)い。
Super-express trains are faster than regular express trains.
彼女(かのじょ)は超(ちょう)有名(ゆうめい)な俳優(はいゆう)と結婚(けっこん)したらしい。
I hear she married an ultra-famous actor.

Originally a Sino-Japanese prefix in formal compounds (超音速(ちょうおんそく) 'supersonic', 超大国(ちょうたいこく) 'superpower'). Since the 1980s also widely used as a casual intensifier attached freely to adjectives and even verbs (超(ちょう)かわいい, 超(ちょう)忙(いそが)しい).

FORMAL COMPOUNDS:

  • 超音速(ちょうおんそく): supersonic
  • 超大国(ちょうたいこく): superpower
  • 超高層(ちょうこうそう): super high-rise
  • 超特急(ちょうとっきゅう): super-express

CASUAL USAGE:

  • 超(ちょう)かわいい: super cute
  • 超(ちょう)楽(たの)しい: super fun
  • 超(ちょう)忙(いそが)しい: crazy busy

In casual speech, 超(ちょう) feels more youthful than すごく or とても and is common among younger speakers.

general
Added 2026.6.3 11:08
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