sooner or later
sooner or later は英検準2級レベルの英単語で、「遅かれ早かれ」という意味があります。発音記号は /ˈsuːnər ɔːr ˈleɪtər/ です。
遅かれ早かれ
解説 Definition
いつかは必ず起こるという確信を表す表現。時間の早い遅いはあっても結果は避けられないこと。
Sooner or later means that something will happen at some time in the future, even if you do not know exactly when. It suggests that the result is likely or unavoidable. It is often used when talking about change, discovery, or consequences.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
sooner は soon、later は late の比較級なので、まず「早い側」と「遅い側」の両端を並べた表現だとつかむと覚えやすいです。そこから「早かれ遅かれ、結局はそうなる」という inevitability の感覚につながります。eventually も近いですが、sooner or later は『時期は未定でも結果は避けにくい』という確信や軽い警告を帯びやすいのが特徴です。You’ll realize it sooner or later. のように、忠告・予測・あきらめの場面でまとまりごと覚えると定着します。
Sooner comes from soon, and later comes from late, so the phrase gives both ends of time. That makes it easy to remember as 'maybe early, maybe late, but it will happen.' Learn it as one chunk in sentences like You’ll realize it sooner or later, often used for prediction, warning, or quiet certainty.
例文
Sooner or later, the truth will come out.
遅かれ早かれ、真実は明らかになる。
If you keep practicing, sooner or later you'll succeed.
練習を続ければ、遅かれ早かれ成功するだろう。
Sooner or later, everyone has to face their fears.
遅かれ早かれ、誰もが自分の恐怖に向き合わなければならない。
sooner or later の類義語・関連語
sooner or later の語源・成り立ち Etymology
soon は古英語 sona「すぐに」、later は late に比較級接尾辞 -er が付いた形です。sooner or later は「より早くであれ、より遅くであれ」という両端提示から「いつかは」。latest や belated にも、遅速を測る時間感覚が流れています。
Sooner or later joins the comparative forms of soon and late. Soon comes from Old English sona, meaning "immediately," and later is from late with the ending -er. The full phrase means "whether earlier or later," and from that it came to mean "at some time in the future."
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