all of a sudden
突然
解説 Definition
何の前触れもなく突然に物事が起こる様子を表す表現。
All of a sudden means suddenly and unexpectedly. It is used when something happens very quickly without warning. This expression is common in spoken and written everyday English.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず sudden＝「急な」を知っておくと、この表現は「急な出来事が丸ごと来る」感覚で覚えやすいです。前触れなく状況が切り替わる場面でよく使い、All of a sudden, it started raining. のように文頭に置く形が頻出。suddenly も近いですが、all of a sudden の方が会話的で「え、いきなり？」という唐突さが強め。物語や会話で場面が急変する合図として覚えると定着します。
Start with `sudden`, meaning something quick and unexpected. Then `all of a sudden` feels like the whole situation changes at once. It often comes at the start of a sentence in stories: `All of a sudden, ...`.
例文
All of a sudden, the lights went out.
突然、明かりが消えた。
All of a sudden, it started raining heavily.
突然、激しく雨が降り始めた。
She was reading quietly when all of a sudden the phone rang.
彼女が静かに読書していると、突然電話が鳴った。
all of a sudden の類義語・関連語
all of a sudden の語源・成り立ち Etymology
sudden は古フランス語経由でラテン語 subitaneus「不意の」にさかのぼり、all of a sudden は「一つの急な出来事まるごとで」という強調です。suddenly や suddenness も同根で、事態が不意打ちで一気に来る感覚から「突然」となります。
All of a sudden is built around "sudden," which came through Old French from Latin "subitaneus," meaning "unexpected" or "coming quickly." The full phrase adds emphasis, as if one abrupt event arrives all at once. Related forms such as "suddenly" keep that same idea of surprise and speed.
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