よく・良く・能く・善く・好く・克くyoku[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Which spelling to use
良く良く is the most common of the kanji-and-kana spellings, although よく alone is usually used in kana. For beginners choosing a kanji spelling, use 良く.
善く善く is less common than 良く as a kanji-and-kana spelling. It is a written variant rather than the first choice for beginners.
能く能く is less common than 善く and 良く as a kanji-and-kana spelling. You may encounter it as a written variant, but beginners should choose 良く instead.
好く好く is less common than 能く, 善く, and 良く as a kanji-and-kana spelling. It is not the recommended choice for beginners.
克く克く is the least common of these kanji-and-kana spellings. You may encounter it as a written variant, but beginners should use 良く instead.
Definitions
- adverbnicely; properly; well; skillfully; skilfully
- adverbfrequently; often
- adverbI'm glad that you ...; thank you for ...
- adverb(you have) quite the nerve to; I don't know how you can ...
Synonyms & antonyms
- SynonymよろしくFormalMostly fixed in greetings and requests like 「よろしくお願いします」, or meaning suitably; its usage differs from 「よく」.
- Synonym手際よくてぎわよくNeutralMeans working briskly and efficiently, as in 「手際よく片付ける」; stresses deftness rather than the general 'well' of 「よく」.
- Synonym大いにおおいにWrittenMeans greatly or fully, as in 「大いに楽しむ」; it leans toward written style, while 「よく」 is common in speech.
- SynonymたびたびNeutralMatches only the frequency sense of 「よく」: repeatedly, as in 「度々お邪魔する」; slightly polite in tone.
- SynonymうまくNeutralFocuses on skill or things going smoothly, as in 「うまく話せない」; 「よく」 can also mean often or carefully.
- Synonym首尾よくしゅびよくWrittenWritten word for something going as planned and ending well, as in 「首尾よく合格する」; matches only the success sense of 「よく」.
- Related誠にまことにFormalFormal written word meaning truly, mostly in solemn thanks and apologies; it never expresses frequency or doing something well.
- RelatedずいぶんNeutralMeans considerably or very, often with a note of surprise, as in 「随分遠い」; 「よく」 marks degree only with certain predicates, such as 「よく似ている」 or 「よく晴れた」.
- Related極めてきわめてWrittenWritten word for extremely, as in 「極めて重要」; it modifies degree only, while the degree sense of 「よく」 is limited to phrases like 「よく似ている」.
- RelatedなかなかNeutralMeans quite or considerably, sometimes with surprised praise, sometimes just unexpected degree, as in 「なかなか難しい」; with a negative it means not easily, a use 「よく」 lacks.
- Related最ももっともNeutralMeans most, a superlative; 「よく」 covers well, often or strongly but never marks the highest degree.
- Related至っていたってWrittenWritten word for exceedingly, as in 「至って健康」; it mainly modifies states, not actions done well or often.
- Related甚だはなはだWrittenWritten word for very, typically with unpleasant matters as in 「甚だ遺憾」; 「よく」 is at home in everyday speech.
- Related至極しごくWrittenWritten word for extremely, often used like a suffix in 「残念至極」 or 「当然至極」; no overlap with the frequency sense of 「よく」.
- Related非常にひじょうにNeutralThe plain word for very, modifying adjectives as in 「非常に寒い」; 「よく」 mainly modifies actions, so 「よく寒い」 is impossible.
- RelatedかなりNeutralMeans considerably or fairly, as in 「かなり疲れた」; it describes degree only and never covers the frequency sense of 「よく」.
- RelatedよほどNeutralMeans considerably or very, and also marks conjecture as in 「よほど疲れたらしい」 or 'very nearly'; 「よく」 has neither use.
- Related大変たいへんNeutralMeans very and is common in polite set phrases like 「大変お世話になりました」; it grades degree, unlike the manner or frequency senses of 「よく」.
- RelatedたいそうNeutralAs an adverb, a slightly old-fashioned very; as an adjectival noun it means grand or overblown, suggesting exaggeration, as in 「大層なことを言う」.
- Related遺憾なくいかんなくWrittenWritten set phrase for exercising one's ability to the full, as in 「実力を遺憾なく発揮する」; not a general stand-in for 「よく」.
- RelatedすこぶるWrittenWritten and slightly old-fashioned word for very, as in 「頗る元気だ」; purely a degree adverb, unlike the many senses of 「よく」.
- Antonym悪くNeutralThe direct opposite of 「よく」: badly or for the worse, as in 「悪く思わないで」.
- Antonym下手にNeutralRead 「したてに」, it means treating people from a humble, self-lowering stance, as in 「下手に出る」; not on the same plane as 「よく」.
Use 「よく」 for doing something well, carefully or often, as in 「よく見る」, 「よく来る」, 「よく似ている」. For skill or a smooth outcome choose 「うまく」; for frequency choose 「度々」; for degree choose 「非常に」 or 「かなり」; for strong written emphasis choose 「極めて」. Compounds like 「首尾よく」 and 「手際よく」 cover one narrow sense each, 「大変」 and 「随分」 replace only the degree use, and 「悪く」 is the antonym.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
English equivalents
See also
