How to Say “Too Much” in Japanese | Using V/Adj + sugiru (すぎる)

level1 (N5)

Introduction

Want to say things like:

  • “This coffee is too hot.”
  • “I ate too much yesterday.”
  • “That kanji is too difficult!”

In Japanese, there’s a simple and useful way to express excess using:

Verb or adjective (stem) + すぎる
= too much / overly ~

Let’s learn how to use this structure to describe when something goes beyond normal or acceptable levels — and practice with real examples!

1. Grammar Structure

Pattern

V/Adj (stem) + すぎる

TypeExampleすぎる FormMeaning
Verbたべる食たべすぎるto eat too much
い-adjectiveたかい高たかすぎるtoo expensive
な-adjectiveかんたん（な）簡単かんたんすぎるtoo easy

📌 You can conjugate すぎる like any regular verb:

  • すぎます (polite)
  • すぎた (past tense)

2. How to Form It

To use V Adj- stem + すぎる, follow these steps: 

  1. Get the stem of the verb or adjective.
  2. Attach すぎる to the stem with appropriate tense and form (e.g. すぎた in past tense, すぎます in long form)

Verbs:

Use the stem form (remove ます from ます-form)

Verb (ます form)Stem+すぎるMeaning
食たべます食べ食べすぎるeat too much
勉強べんきょうします勉強し勉強しすぎるstudy too much
寝ねます寝寝すぎるsleep too much

い-Adjectives:

Drop the final い and add すぎる

AdjectiveStem+すぎるMeaning
高たかい高高すぎるtoo expensive
寒さむい寒寒すぎるtoo cold
難むずかしい難し難しすぎるtoo difficult

な-Adjectives:

Remove な and add すぎる

AdjectiveStem+すぎるMeaning
かんたんなかんたんかんたんすぎるtoo easy
まじめなまじめまじめすぎるtoo serious
下手へたな下手下手すぎるtoo unskilled/bad

3. Example Sentences

  • このバッグは小ちいさすぎます。
    = This bag is too small.
  • 日本語にほんごは難むずかしすぎます。
    = Japanese is too difficult.
  • きのう食たべすぎたから、お腹なかが痛いたいです。
    = My stomach hurts because I ate too much yesterday.
  • この映画えいがはおもしろすぎました。
    = This movie was too fun.

4. Practice Time!

Convert the following into “too much” forms:

Base+ すぎる (long form)English
広ひろい広すぎますtoo spacious
厳きびしい厳しすぎますtoo strict
運動うんどうする運動しすぎますwork out too much
寝ねる寝すぎますsleep too much
サボるサボりすぎますskip too many classes

5. Real-Life Scenarios

  • Q: どうしてのどが痛いたいんですか？ = Why do you have a sore throat?
    A: カラオケで歌うたいすぎました。= I sang too much at karaoke.
  • Q: どうして二日酔ふつかよいなんですか？ = Why the hangover?
    A: きのう飲のみすぎました。= I drank too much yesterday.
  • Q: どうして成績せいせきが悪わるいんですか？ = Why are your grades so bad?
    A: ゲームをしすぎました。= I played video games for too long.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong✅ Correct
食べますすぎる食べすぎる
高いすぎる高すぎる
簡単なすぎる簡単すぎる

💡 Always attach すぎる to the stem, not the full word!

7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
Can I use すぎる in the past tense?
A

Yes. Just say:
食べすぎました = I ate too much
飲みすぎた = I drank too much

Q
Can I use it in polite speech?
A

Yes. Use:
〜すぎます (polite present)
〜すぎました (polite past)

Q
Can I use it in polite speech?
A

Yes, but be careful. For example:
タケシさんはいじわるすぎる。 = Takeshi is too mean (negative).
エミさんはまじめすぎる。 = Emi is too serious (could be positive or negative).

Q
How do I find the “stem form” for different types of verbs (る-verbs, う-verbs, irregular verbs) to attach 「すぎる」?
A
  • る-verbs (Group 2): Remove る from the short form. (e.g., 食べる → 食べ, 見る → 見)
  • う-verbs (Group 1): Use the い-ending form (like the ます-stem). This is often called the pre-ます form. (e.g., 飲みます → 飲み, 話します → 話し, 行きます → 行き)
  • Irregular verbs: 来ます (きます) → 来 (き), します (します) → し
Q
What particles (like 「を」「が」「に」) are used in a sentence with 「〜すぎる」? Do they change?
A

The particles used with the verb or adjective before 「すぎる」 generally remain the same as they would in a regular sentence without 「すぎる」. The particles indicate the relationship of other nouns to the verb/adjective.

  • Example (Verb): ご飯を食べすぎました。(Gohan o tabesugimashita.) – 「ご飯を食べる」 uses 「を」.
  • Example (Adjective): この部屋は広すぎますね。(Kono heya wa hirosugimasu ne.) – 「この部屋は広い」 uses 「は」.
  • Example (Verb): 働きすぎで病気になりました。(Hatarakisugi de byouki ni narimashita.) – 「働く」 doesn’t take を/が/に with the subject, but the reason for becoming sick is “overworking,” using the particle で.
Q
Does 「〜すぎる」 always imply a negative meaning, or can it be used positively or neutrally?
A

While 「〜すぎる」 most often implies that something is excessively so, leading to a negative outcome or feeling (“too much,” “overly”), its connotation can sometimes be neutral or even slightly positive depending on the adjective or verb it’s attached to and the context.

  • Typically Negative: 食べすぎる (eat too much), 難しすぎる (too difficult), 働きすぎる (work too much)
  • Can be Neutral/Situational: 大きすぎる (too big – might be bad or just a factual description), 静かすぎる (too quiet – might be good or bad depending on the desired atmosphere)
  • Can be Slightly Positive/Nuanced: 親切すぎる (too kind – might imply they are excessively kind but not necessarily a bad thing, could even be admirable in some contexts).

When someone hears a new song by an artist they like, they may say “この曲、良すぎる…！ (kono kyoku yosugiru, This song is too good)”, which in this context is a completely positive nuance, and ‘すぎる’ emphasizes 良い=good.

8. Conclusion

Now you can:

✅ Say something is too much
✅ Attach すぎる to verbs and adjectives
✅ Express complaints, limits, and exaggerations naturally

🎯 Try this:
Make 3 sentences using すぎる to describe your day!

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