さすが (sasuga)
さすが — “as expected of ~”
Pattern
-
さすが+名詞(、〜)さすが + noun (さすがプロ、上手ですね) -
さすが(だ/ですね)さすがだね / さすがですね
Meaning
You already believed the person or place was great, and the result confirms it. It is admiration that matches your expectation, not surprise at something unexpected.
Who to say it to
It is natural with friends, peers and juniors. Saying さすがですね to a superior can sound as if you are judging them from above.
Examples
-
さすがプロ、料理(りょうり)がとても上手(じょうず)ですね。
Sasuga puro, ryōri ga totemo jōzu desu ne.
As expected of a pro, you're very good at cooking.
-
さすが先輩(せんぱい)、説明(せつめい)がとても分(わ)かりやすい。
Sasuga senpai, setsumei ga totemo wakari yasui.
As expected of a senior, the explanation is very easy to understand.
-
難(むずか)しい問題(もんだい)をすぐ解(と)いた。さすがだね。
Muzukashii mondai o sugu toita. Sasuga da ne.
You solved the hard problem right away. That's just what I'd expect from you.
Common mistakes
- Said directly to a superior, it can sound rude.
- Use it when the result matches expectations; for a surprise, use すごい or 意外.
More grammar points
- でも 名詞でも — “~ or something / how about ~?”
- ではないか ~ではないか — “isn’t it ~? / isn’t that so?”
- が必要(がひつよう) ~が必要だ — “~ is necessary / needed”
- がする ~がする — sensing a smell, sound, taste or feeling
- じゃないか ~じゃないか — “isn't it?” / “let's ~, shall we?”
- かどうか ~かどうか — “whether (or not) ~”
- から作(つく)る ~から作る — “made from ~ (raw material)”
- こと こと — turning a verb into a noun
- ことがある ~ことがある — “there are times when ~”
- ことになる ~ことになる — “it has been decided that ~ / it ends up that ~”
- ことにする ~ことにする — “decide to ~”
- くする ~くする — “make it ~” (with i-adjectives)
- まま ~まま — “as it is / left as ~”
- または または — “or”
- など など — “and so on / things like ~”
- ながら ~ながら — doing two things at once
- に気(き)がつく ~に気がつく — “notice ~ / become aware of ~”
- にする ~にする — “decide on ~ / make it ~”
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