Using 大変 (たいへん)as a synonym for とても

3 comments

1. It’s fairly common. 大変うれしいです for ‘I’m extremely happy’ is a regularly used phrase, for example.

2. It’s common.

   By the way, a less common one is えらい, but you mostly find this in Kansai dialect.

   Example: 東大寺いうのはえらい大きいお寺やなぁ。 (Todai-ji is a really huge temple.)
   In 標準語 (standard [Japanese]) it would be: 東大寺というのはとても大きいお寺です。

3. Yes, it’s common! Just now I was reading Harry Potter and Professor Sprout said 大変よろしい to Hermione for getting an answer right