もちろん

も

ち

ろ

ん

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

1

adverb

of course; certainly; naturally

usually written using kana alone

Expresses that something is obvious, expected, or goes without saying. Used in both casual and polite speech.

もちろん、手伝てつだいますよ。
Of course I'll help you.
彼

かれ

は

もちろん

来く

る

と

思おも

っ

て

い

た

。

I naturally thought he would come.

Written forms

もちろんUsage93%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 勿論 is rare and mostly seen in older or formal writing.
勿もち論ろんUsage7%
Kanji spelling; learners should prefer the kana form.
モチロンUsage<1%

Kanji

勿not, must not, do not
論argument, discourse

Similar words

当とう然ぜん
当然 is more objective and often used for logical or moral conclusions, while もちろん is a softer, more conversational 'of course'.
当あたり前まえ
当たり前 emphasizes that something is a matter of course or common sense, and can sound stronger or more blunt than もちろん.

Etymology

Derived from 勿 (an old negative marker) and 論 (argument), literally meaning 'no argument needed'. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the modern meaning is well established.