当然（とうぜん、touzen）
- natural/right

The Japanese word 当然, pronounced とうぜん (tōzen), means "of course," "naturally," "as a matter of course," "inevitably," or "it's only natural." It expresses something that is expected, logical, or the natural consequence of something else. It implies that the situation is unsurprising or that the speaker believes it should be so. It can be used to emphasize that something is obvious or to express agreement. The meaning of 当然 can also extend to a sense of "fairness" or "deserving".

⚫︎当然のことながら、彼は試験に合格した。 Translation: Naturally, he passed the exam. ⚫︎それは当然の結果だ。 Translation: That's a natural/inevitable result. ⚫︎誰もがそれを知っているのは当然だ。 Translation: It's only natural that everyone knows that.

⚫︎当然 is used in various situations where you want to express that something is logical, expected, or a consequence of a previous event or action. ⚫︎It can be used to agree with someone, emphasize an obvious point, or highlight something that is considered normal or reasonable. ⚫︎It's often used at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize the point or provide a smoother transition. ⚫︎The phrase can be used in both formal and informal settings, although the level of formality might influence the surrounding words used. ⚫︎It is often used as an adverb, however, it can also be used as an adjective. If used as an adjective, it takes the form of 当然の, and should modify a noun. For example, 当然の権利 means "a natural right." ⚫︎When used as an adjective modifying a noun, it needs to be followed by の (no), which is a possessive particle. Examples: - Using 当然 to agree with a statement: Person A: 明日は雨が降るでしょう。 (Ashita wa ame ga furu deshou.) - "It will probably rain tomorrow." Person B: 当然ですね。 (Tōzen desu ne.) - "That's [naturally] so." / "Of course." - Using 当然 to express an obvious result: 努力すれば、成功するのは当然だ。 (Doryoku sureba, seikō suru no wa tōzen da.) - "If you work hard, it's [natural] that you will succeed." - Using 当然の + noun: 安全は当然の優先事項です。 (Anzen wa tōzen no yūsen jikō desu.) - "Safety is a [natural] priority."

⚫︎The word 当然 is typically written in kanji: 当然. ⚫︎The reading is とうぜん (tōzen) in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no other common ways to write this word. ⚫︎The okurigana (送りがな - suffix hiragana) is standard. ⚫︎The word can also be written in katakana to provide emphasis in limited contexts, although it is not common.

⚫︎もちろん (mochiron) - Of course, certainly ⚫︎当然のこと (tōzen no koto) - Naturally, as a matter of course ⚫︎当たり前 (atarimae) - Obvious, natural, commonplace (more casual) ⚫︎当然ながら (tōzen nagara) - As a matter of course, naturally (more formal) ⚫︎当然のことながら (tōzen no koto nagara) - As a matter of course, naturally (more formal) ⚫︎当然のこととして (tōzen no koto to shite) - As a matter of course, as a matter of fact. (formal)

⚫︎意外 (igai) - Unexpected, surprising ⚫︎非常識 (hijōshiki) - Unreasonable, absurd ⚫︎不自然 (fushizen) - Unnatural ⚫︎不思議 (fushigi) - Strange, mysterious

一生懸命勉強したのだから、試験に合格するのは当然のことだ。 ・Translation: Since you studied hard, it's only [natural] that you passed the exam. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 当然 to highlight the expected outcome of studying diligently.

彼は約束を守らなかった。それは当然、私が怒る理由です。 ・Translation: He didn't keep his promise. That's [naturally] a reason for me to get angry. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 当然 to express that the speaker's anger is a logical consequence of the other person's action.

The word 当然 is composed of two kanji: 当 (tō) and 然 (zen). 当 means "to hit," "to be right," or "to be appropriate," and 然 means "like that," "so," or "in that way." Combining these suggests something that is "right as it should be" or "naturally so." The word’s etymology reflects its meaning of something being expected or logical.