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そば Japanese meaning | Kotomora

そば

そ

ば

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

1

noun

nearby; close by; beside; vicinity

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a place or position near something or someone. Often used with に or の to indicate location.

駅えきのそばにコンビニがあります。
There is a convenience store near the station.
彼かれはいつも私わたしのそばにいる。
He is always by my side.

Written forms

そばUsage92%
Usually written in kana. Kanji forms 側 and 傍 exist but are less common in modern usage.
傍そばUsage8%
Rare kanji form; mainly literary or older texts.
側そばUsage<1%
Kanji form; can also be read がわ or そく, so context is needed.
ソバUsage

2

noun

as soon as; right after

usually written using kana alone

Used in the pattern 〜そばから, following the attributive form of a verb, to indicate that something happens immediately after another action, often with a nuance of repetition or inevitability.

See also: そばから

覚おぼえたそばから忘わすれてしまう。
I forget things as soon as I learn them.
片かた付づけるそばから子こ供どもが散ちらかす。
The kids make a mess right after I tidy up.

<1%

Kanji

側side, lean, oppose
傍bystander, side, besides

Similar words

近ちかく
近く is more general for 'near' and can be used for both spatial and temporal proximity, while そば emphasizes immediate physical closeness.
隣となり
隣 means 'next to' or 'neighboring', implying adjacency, whereas そば can mean simply 'nearby' without direct contact.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the classical Japanese word そば (side, edge). The kanji 側 and 傍 are used for their meanings of 'side' and 'nearby' respectively.