modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
当たり前だ — it's only natural / obvious
当たり前だ ・ あたりまえだ
Meaning
- it's only natural / obvious / a matter of course that ~ — so self-evident or expected it hardly needs saying
Key sentence
約束を守るのは当たり前だ。
Keeping a promise is only natural.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun の / plain clause + のは当たり前だ | 〜のは当たり前だ / 当たり前の N | 当たり前のこと (an obvious thing) |
Examples
こんなに練習したのだから、勝って当たり前だ。
After practising this much, winning is only to be expected.
親が子を心配するのは当たり前だ。
It's natural for a parent to worry about their child.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 当たり前のように means 'as if it were obvious / matter-of-factly.' 当然 is a more formal synonym.
See 当たり前だ in real sentences
Jengo shows 当たり前だ the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.