The Meaning of zutto [ずっと] In Japanese

ずっと
ずっと
Romaji: zutto N5

What does ずっと mean?

Translation and Meaning

all the time, continuously, throughout, for a long time

Definition

ずっと (zutto) means a sustained duration: it expresses that something has continued from some point in the past or is continuing into the present, or that it lasts for a long period. In English, it covers ‘all the time’, ‘continuously’, and ‘for a long time’, and it attaches to verbs and adjectives to emphasize duration.

Type

adverb (副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Continuous action from a past point through the present — emphasizes ongoing duration (zutto).
  • For a long duration, indicating something has lasted a long time up to now or into the future depending on context (zutto).
  • Describes a persistent state, often with adjectives or stative verbs, implying an ongoing condition (zutto).
  • When used with time expressions like ずっと前, it places the duration in a broad timeline, from long ago to the present, depending on surrounding grammar (zutto).

Usage

Used in casual and formal speech to indicate duration or continuity; it typically precedes the verb or adjective it modifies and can appear with the ている form to express ongoing action, or before an adjective to describe a lasting state; common in everyday conversation and writing, and it can pair with time expressions like ずっと前 to describe long stretches in the past or present.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a clock whose hands stretch endlessly across the page; pronounce it zutto to remember that the word means continuous, all along.

Variations

  • いつまでも (itsumademo) — forever, for a long time
  • 常に (tsune ni) — always, constantly
  • 長く (nagaku) — for a long time, long-lasting

Example Phrases

  • ずっとこの音楽を聴いていたら元気が出た。
    Zutto kono ongaku o kiite itara genki ga deta.
    If I’d been listening to this music all along, I felt energized.
    Lista:
    • ずっと (zutto) – all the time
    • この (kono) – this
    • 音楽を (ongaku o) – music
    • 聴いていたら (kiite itara) – if I had been listening
    • 元気が (genki ga) – energy
    • 出た (deta) – came out
    The adverb 「ずっと」 expresses duration (all along) and intensifies the action; it combines with 〜ていたら to form a hypothetical past condition.
ずっと