Quick Reference

Meaning & Definition

When you want something to increase or continue beyond its current level, Japanese speakers reach for motto. It carries a direct push for more — more time, more food, more effort — and sits at the heart of everyday desire and encouragement.

Motto expresses a comparative increase in degree, quantity, or extent, equivalent to “more” or “even more” in English. It modifies adjectives, adverbs, and verbs to indicate that the current state should go further: motto hayaku (faster), motto tabetai (want to eat more). Compared with mou sukoshi (a little more / just a bit more), motto makes no claim about the size of the increase — it simply pushes in that direction without restraint. Mou sukoshi, by contrast, asks for a small, measured addition and often softens a request. The formal literary adverb sara ni (furthermore / even more so) overlaps in meaning but is reserved for written Japanese, speeches, or formal contexts where motto would sound too casual.

How to Use It

The most common mix-up is choosing between motto and mou sukoshi. Use motto when there is no implied ceiling on the increase — motto renshuu shite (practice more) leaves the amount open. Switch to mou sukoshi when you mean a small, specific addition — mou sukoshi matte (wait just a little longer). Using motto in that second situation can sound impatient or demanding, so the distinction matters in social contexts. Also note that motto always precedes what it modifies; it cannot end a sentence alone the way “more” sometimes can in English.

Example Sentences

Cultural Context

In everyday conversation, motto doubles as a word of encouragement. Coaches, teachers, and parents use it constantly — motto ganbare (push even harder) and motto jishin wo motte (have more confidence in yourself) are phrases learners encounter early and often. The word channels the cultural value of continuous self-improvement (kaizen) in a single syllable.

The word gained extra visibility through the phrase motto motto, a playful repetition used in children’s media and casual speech to express an eager, almost insatiable desire for more. This doubled form strips away any formality and turns a simple request into an expressive, endearing plea — a pattern common in Japanese that intensifies meaning through repetition.

In Japanese pop music and advertising, motto appears in song titles and slogans to evoke aspiration and longing. Its open-ended quality — pointing toward more without specifying how much — makes it effective for conveying ambition or romance, feelings that resist precise measurement.

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