Sugiru in Japanese: How to Say Too Much, Too Big and Too Late

Too expensive, too spicy, ate too much, worked too late: Japanese handles all of them with one ending, and it is one of the most useful endings a beginner can add.

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What you need to know

Sugiru in Japanese: How to Say Too Much, Too Big and Too Late

Sugiru means to exceed, and attached to other words it means too much or too. It works with verbs, i-adjectives, na-adjectives and some nouns, it conjugates like an ordinary ichidan verb, and it has a noun form, sugi, that turns up everywhere in casual speech. This guide covers how to attach it, the two irregular cases that catch learners, how sugite gives a reason, how sugiru differs from amari, and how to use it to complain without sounding blunt.

Sugiru attaches to the masu stem of verbs and the stem of adjectives

Ii becomes yosugiru and nai becomes nasasugiru

The noun sugi, as in tabesugi, is how people often say it casually

Chotto plus sugiru is the standard soft way to say something is not right

Attaching sugiru to each word type

Sugiru always joins to a stem. For verbs, that is the masu stem: the part before masu. For i-adjectives, drop the final i. For na-adjectives, use the word without na. Some nouns and noun-like words take it directly.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
食べすぎました。Tabesugimashita.I ate too much.
このカレーは辛すぎます。Kono karē wa karasugimasu.This curry is too spicy.
この部屋は静かすぎます。Kono heya wa shizukasugimasu.This room is too quiet.
彼はまじめすぎます。Kare wa majimesugimasu.He is too serious.
Word typeHow to attachMeaning
VerbMasu stem + sugiruDo something too much
I-adjectiveDrop the final i + sugiruToo hot, too big
Na-adjectiveAdjective without na + sugiruToo quiet, too serious
Some nounsNoun + sugiruToo much like a child, too much of a professional

It conjugates like a normal verb

Once attached, sugiru behaves exactly like an ichidan verb such as taberu. That gives you polite and plain forms, past, negative and the te form without learning anything new.

The past is especially common, because most of the time you notice too much after it has happened.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
飲みすぎた。Nomisugita.I drank too much. (casual)
働きすぎないでください。Hatarakisuginaide kudasai.Please do not overwork.
昨日は歩きすぎて、足が痛いです。Kinō wa arukisugite, ashi ga itai desu.I walked too much yesterday, so my feet hurt.
考えすぎないほうがいいですよ。Kangaesuginai hō ga ii desu yo.It is better not to overthink it.

The two forms that catch learners

Two adjectives break the simple rule. Ii, meaning good, takes its old stem yo, so too good is yosugiru. Nai, meaning there is not or does not have, adds sa and becomes nasasugiru. The same sa appears with the adjective yoi in yosasō, so the pattern is not random.

You will hear nasasugiru in phrases about a lack of something: not enough confidence, not enough time, not enough information.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
天気がよすぎて、家にいるのがもったいない。Tenki ga yosugite, ie ni iru no ga mottainai.The weather is too good to stay at home.
自信がなさすぎます。Jishin ga nasasugimasu.You have far too little confidence.
時間がなさすぎて、何もできませんでした。Jikan ga nasasugite, nani mo dekimasen deshita.There was so little time I could not do anything.

The noun sugi in casual speech

Drop the ru and you get sugi, which works as a noun. It is extremely common in casual conversation, on signs and in headlines, and often replaces a full sentence.

Among friends, a single word with sugi and a tone of voice is a complete comment.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
食べすぎに注意してください。Tabesugi ni chūi shite kudasai.Be careful not to overeat.
飲みすぎだよ。Nomisugi da yo.You have had too much to drink.
それは考えすぎだと思う。Sore wa kangaesugi da to omou.I think you are overthinking it.
高すぎ！Takasugi!Way too expensive!
働きすぎは体に悪いです。Hatarakisugi wa karada ni warui desu.Overwork is bad for your health.

Sugite as a reason

The te form sugite explains why something happened or cannot happen. It is one of the most natural ways to give a reason in speech, and it sounds less formal than kara or node.

The pattern is simple: first what was too much, then the result.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
高すぎて買えませんでした。Takasugite kaemasen deshita.It was too expensive for me to buy.
早すぎて聞き取れませんでした。Hayasugite kikitoremasen deshita.It was too fast for me to catch.
眠すぎて集中できません。Nemusugite shūchū dekimasen.I am too sleepy to concentrate.
多すぎて食べきれません。Ōsugite tabekiremasen.There is too much for me to finish.

Sugiru and amari are not the same

Learners often reach for amari when they mean too much, because a dictionary lists both near the word too. They point in opposite directions. Sugiru says something went past a limit. Amari with a negative says something does not reach a level: not very, not much.

Mixing them changes the meaning completely: amari takakunai is a compliment to the price, takasugiru is a complaint about it.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
この店はあまり高くないです。Kono mise wa amari takakunai desu.This shop is not very expensive.
この店は高すぎます。Kono mise wa takasugimasu.This shop is too expensive.
あまり食べませんでした。Amari tabemasen deshita.I did not eat much.
食べすぎました。Tabesugimashita.I ate too much.

Complaining politely with chotto

Saying something is simply too much can sound blunt in a shop, restaurant or meeting. The usual softener is chotto, a little, placed in front, often with ne or a trailing kedo so the listener can offer an alternative without being asked directly.

This is how many small problems are raised in Japan: a mild statement that leaves room, rather than a request that demands a fix.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
ちょっと大きすぎますね。Chotto ōkisugimasu ne.It is a little too big, isn't it.
ちょっと音が大きすぎるんですけど。Chotto oto ga ōkisugiru n desu kedo.The sound is a bit too loud…
ちょっと甘すぎるので、砂糖なしでお願いできますか。Chotto amasugiru no de, satō nashi de onegai dekimasu ka.It is a little too sweet, so could I have it without sugar?
予算にはちょっと高すぎます。Yosan ni wa chotto takasugimasu.It is a little over our budget.
Key points

A practical way to improve

Walk around your home and say what is too much about five things: too cold, too small, too far, too many, too old. Then give a reason with sugite for one of them. In Unihongo, a shopping or restaurant roleplay with your AI Sensei gives you natural chances to say something is a little too expensive or too spicy and ask for an alternative.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I say something is too expensive in Japanese?

Takasugimasu, or more softly, chotto takai desu ne. In a shop, chotto takasugiru no de, mō sukoshi yasui no wa arimasu ka asks for a cheaper option without sounding like a complaint.

Is sugiru always negative?

Usually it signals that something has gone past a comfortable level. It can also be used as enthusiastic praise in casual speech, as in kawaisugiru or oishisugiru, where too cute and too delicious simply mean extremely.

What is the difference between sugiru and amari?

Sugiru says a limit has been passed: takasugiru, too expensive. Amari with a negative says not very: amari takakunai, not very expensive. Amari ni with sugiru or a strong statement adds emphasis, but in everyday speech the two usually appear separately.

Why is it yosugiru and not iisugiru?

Ii is a newer form of yoi, and all its conjugations are built from yo. The same rule gives yokatta and yokunai. Iisugiru is heard as a mistake.

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