N4 Degree & Limitation

~すぎる: meaning, usage and examples

~すぎる means: too much.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. このコーヒーは甘あますぎます。

   This coffee is too sweet.

2. 昨日きのうは食たべすぎました。

   I ate too much yesterday.

3. このかばんは重おもすぎて、持もてません。

   This bag is too heavy for me to carry.

4. 昨日きのうの夜よる、テレビを見みすぎました。

   I watched too much TV last night.

When to use it

Says that something goes beyond the right amount or level: 'too much' or 'too X'. Attach it to verbs for doing something to excess (飲のみすぎる, 働はたらきすぎる) and to adjectives for a quality that is too strong (高たかすぎる, 難むずかしすぎる). すぎる conjugates like a Group 2 verb: すぎます, すぎた, すぎて.

Nuance

Usually negative: it points to a problem or a complaint. いい becomes よすぎる and ない becomes なさすぎる (時間じかんがなさすぎる). In casual speech it can also be strong praise (かわいすぎる), but in polite speech keep it for real excess.

Compare

Compare とても (very): このかばんはとても高たかいです only says it is very expensive; このかばんは高たかすぎます says it is more than I want to pay. すぎて often gives a reason: 高たかすぎて買かえません 'too expensive to buy'.

Tip: Use the て-form to give the result: 辛からすぎて食たべられません 'too spicy to eat'. This is how English 'too X to do Y' is usually said.