別に
Japanese
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 別 |
| べつ Grade: 4 |
| on’yomi |
Etymology
別 (betsu, “separate”) + に (ni, particle), literally separately, used idiomatically to mean something closer to especially.[1][2] Compare Korean 별로 (byeollo).
Pronunciation
Interjection
- nothing special; not really
- 「店に行きたい？」「いや、別に。」
- “Mise ni ikitai?”“Iya, betsu ni.”
- "Do you want to go to the store?" "Eh, not really."
- 「店に行きたい？」「いや、別に。」
Usage notes
Generally only used in negative contexts. When used on its own, the negative sense is implied. Compare the meaning and usage of the English expression that much.
References
Categories:
- Japanese terms spelled with 別 read as べつ
- Japanese terms read with on'yomi
- Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Japanese lemmas
- Japanese interjections
- Japanese terms spelled with fourth grade kanji
- Japanese terms written with one Han script character
- Japanese terms with usage examples
- Japanese negative polarity items