すぎる
🃏 Flashcard
すぎる
sugiru
Tap to reveal usage
too much
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
sugiru
Post ID
50662
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
too much
📖 How to use it
Expresses that an action or state exceeds a normal or desirable amount, meaning 'too much'.
Attaches to
Attach to the ます-stem of verbs (e.g., 食べます → 食べ), to the stem of い-adjectives (remove the final い, e.g., 大きい → 大き), and to the stem of な-adjectives (e.g., 静か → 静か). Nouns are not used directly with すぎる; instead, use it with verbs and adjectives.
すぎる means 'too much' or 'excessively'. When you attach it to a verb stem, it means doing the action too much. For example, 食べすぎる means 'to eat too much'. With adjectives, it describes an excessive degree of that quality: 大きすぎる means 'too big'. Note that すぎる is a verb, so it conjugates like a regular る-verb. For polite speech, use すぎます.
食べすぎました。
Tabe sugimashita.
I ate too much.
この問題は難しすぎます。
Kono mondai wa muzukashisugimasu.
This problem is too difficult.
静かすぎて、眠くなります。
Shizuka sugite, nemuku narimasu.
It's so quiet that I get sleepy.
Not ～すぎる vs ～過ぎる? Actually, compare with ～がすぎる? The closest confusable is ～すぎる with ～あまる? But for N5, compare with ～がる? No. Let's use ～すぎる with ～がち? Not N5. Maybe confuse with ～すぎる meaning 'to pass' as in 時間がすぎる. But that's a different verb. So confuse with the verb 過ぎる (to pass) when used as a standalone verb.
When すぎる is attached to a stem, it indicates excess. When it stands alone as a verb, it means 'to pass' (time) or 'to go past'. For example, 時間がすぎる means 'time passes'. If you see it after a stem, it's the excess meaning.
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This pattern is common in both spoken and written Japanese, and is fine in polite conversation.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
すぎる
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat すぎる three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using すぎる. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern すぎる mean?
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Too much
What JLPT level is すぎる?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use すぎる in a sentence?
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Attach すぎる (sugiru) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is すぎる formal or casual Japanese?
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すぎる is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember すぎる long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.