Meaning and Usage
"相変わらず" (あいかわらず) means "as ever" or "as usual," indicating that a situation or condition remains unchanged from before. It is often used to describe people, behaviors, or states that continue without change.
Common Contexts
You will frequently hear it in everyday conversation when commenting on someone's health, mood, habits, or ongoing situations. It can express a neutral observation or sometimes a slight surprise that nothing has changed.
Collocations and Patterns
- 相変わらず + adjective/verb: to describe something continuing as before (e.g., 相変わらず忙しい - still busy)
- 相変わらず + だ/です: polite statement about unchanged state
- 相変わらず + verbている: ongoing action continuing as usual
Register and Nuance
This phrase is neutral and polite enough for casual and semi-formal conversations. It is not overly formal but appropriate in most social contexts.
Common Learner Mistake
Learners sometimes confuse "相変わらず" with "変わらず". While both mean "unchanged," "相変わらず" emphasizes the continuation of a previous state with a nuance of "still as before," often used at the start of a sentence or clause.