Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
さすが carries admiration or recognition that something lives up to a reputation, ability, or standard, often with a sense of praise. やはり confirms that a result matches what you already suspected or knew from past experience, without any sense of praise. Swapping them loses the nuance: さすがパリに十年暮らしただけあって彼はフランス通だ praises the natural outcome, while やはり日本のビールは美味しい simply confirms an expectation.
- さすが Use さすが when you want to express admiration that something turned out as impressively as expected.
- やはり Use やはり when confirming that a result matches your prior expectation or common sense.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| さすが sasuga | As expected of; just like; truly | N2 |
| やはり yahari | After all; as expected; still; as usual | N3 |
さすが sasuga
As expected of; just like; truly
As might be expected; after all; it is only natural that ~; naturally; truly; really; indeed; impressive | An adverb that expresses the speaker's/writer's strong feeling that something has turned out as s/he expected.
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いつも、CDで音楽を聞いているんですが、生のコンサートはさすがにいいですね。
I'm always listening to music on CDs, but concerts are good, after all.
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さすが、パリで十年暮らしただけ{あって/に}、彼は大変フランス通だ。
It is only natural that he is well versed in things French, because he lived in Paris for 10 years.
やはり yahari
After all; as expected; still; as usual
Still; also; after all; as expected; you know | An adverb indicating that the actual situation expectedly/anticipatively conforms to a standard based on past experience, comparison with other people, or common sense.
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お兄さんはテニスが上手ですが、弟さんもやっぱり上手ですよ。
The older brother is good at tennis, and the younger brother is also good at it.
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やはり日本のビールは美味しいですね。
As expected, Japanese beer is good.
さすが and やはり are JLPT N3–N2 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.