If また is a flat "also" — one more fact laid down beside the last — then さらに is "also, and going further, even more so." It is the escalating additive: it does not merely add a parallel point, it adds a stronger one, so each item outweighs the one before and the argument climbs. That built-in "to a greater degree" vector is what distinguishes さらに from every other additive in this group, and it is why さらに so often sits right before a comparative — さらに良くなる, "becomes even better." This is a formal, written-leaning connector: news, reports, presentations, and written argument are its home turf.
The escalating addition: "furthermore, on top of that"
Sentence-initial さらに (usually written in kana; the kanji is 更に) adds a second point that intensifies the case. The classic move is a piece of good news followed by even better news, or a problem followed by a worse one — the second beat lands harder than the first.
コストが下がった。さらに、品質も上がった。
kosuto ga sagatta. sarani, hinshitsu mo agatta
Costs fell. Furthermore, quality even rose.
この製品は人気だ。さらに、売上も記録的だ。
kono seihin wa ninki da. sarani, uriage mo kirokuteki da
This product is popular. On top of that, sales are record-breaking too.
Notice what would be lost with また. また、品質も上がった would simply list quality alongside cost as a second flat fact. さらに frames it as the case getting even stronger — first costs dropped, and then, better still, quality climbed. The connector itself carries that "and it gets better/worse" charge.
The adverb さらに: "even more" before a comparative
The same word works inside a clause as an intensifying adverb meaning "even more / further / still more," and there it very naturally precedes a comparative or a verb of increase. This is the same escalation vector, now modifying a single predicate rather than joining two sentences.
この方法なら、さらに詳しく説明できます。
kono hōhō nara, sarani kuwashiku setsumei dekimasu
With this approach, I can explain in even more detail.
円安が進めば、輸出はさらに伸びるだろう。
en'yasu ga susumeba, yushutsu wa sarani nobiru darō
If the yen weakens further, exports will grow even more.
Because "even more" implies a baseline that is already high, さらに pairs beautifully with もっと-style comparison. Where the connective さらに joins two sentences, the adverbial さらに sharpens one — but the meaning ("to a greater degree") is identical, which is why the two uses feel like one word, unlike the split personality of また.
Building a cumulative argument
In formal prose さらに is a workhorse for stacking causes or effects into a cumulative picture — each new factor compounding the last. It can appear mid-sentence after a て-form or continuative, chaining an escalation into a single long clause.
需要が増え、さらに供給も逼迫した。
juyō ga fue, sarani kyōkyū mo hippaku shita
Demand rose, and furthermore supply grew tight.
円安が進み、さらに原油高も重なって、物価が急騰した。
en'yasu ga susumi, sarani gen'yudaka mo kasanatte, bukka ga kyūtō shita
The yen weakened, and on top of that high oil prices piled on, so prices surged.
The near-synonyms worth knowing at this register are その上（うえ） ("on top of that") and 加えて（くわえて） ("in addition to that"), both of which also lean cumulative. In casual speech, the escalation is usually carried by それに ("besides, plus") or simply もっと ("more") — さらに in a friendly text sounds distinctly formal.
Three additives, one axis: escalation
The reason English speakers stumble here is that English pours "and," "also," "moreover," and "furthermore" into more or less the same slot, choosing between them mostly for rhythm. Japanese sorts its additives by a real semantic axis — how much the new point outweighs the old — and さらに sits at the top of it. Line the three up and the axis is obvious:
| Connector | Relation of point B to point A | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| そして | B simply follows A (sequence) | "and then" — neutral order |
| また | B stands beside A (parallel, equal) | "also" — flat, level |
| さらに | B goes beyond A (stronger, more) | "furthermore" — rising, escalating |
Read a single fact through all three and the difference lands. Suppose the first point is 値段が安い ("it's cheap"). Follow it with そして and you get a bland list; with また, a second equal virtue; with さらに, a virtue that tops the first:
値段が安い。さらに、品質まで一級品だ。
nedan ga yasui. sarani, hinshitsu made ikkyūhin da
It's cheap. And on top of that, the quality is top-grade.
That まで ("even") in the second clause is no accident — さらに attracts intensifiers like まで and も because they share its "beyond expectation" charge. When you find yourself wanting to say "not only that, but even...", さらに is the connector reaching for you.
Common mistakes
Mistake 1 — Using さらに for two flat, equal points. さらに promises escalation; on parallel facts of equal weight it oversells, and また is the right word.
❌ コーヒーを頼んだ。さらに、水も頼んだ。
Odd — ordering water doesn't 'outweigh' ordering coffee; there's no escalation. Use また / それに for a flat addition.
✅ コーヒーを頼んだ。それに、水も頼んだ。
kōhī o tanonda. sore ni, mizu mo tanonda
I ordered a coffee. And a water too.
Mistake 2 — Using さらに to change the subject. さらに builds on the current point; a genuine topic shift is ところで.
❌ このデータは重要だ。さらに、来週の予定は？
Wrong — a new, unrelated question isn't an escalation of the current point. To change topics, use ところで.
✅ このデータは重要だ。ところで、来週の予定は？
kono dēta wa jūyō da. tokorode, raishū no yotei wa
This data is important. By the way, what's the plan for next week?
Mistake 3 — Using さらに as a plain "and then." For simple sequencing with no escalation, そして (or the て-form) fits; さらに forces an "even more" nuance that may not belong.
❌ 顔を洗った。さらに、歯を磨いた。
Stilted — brushing teeth doesn't intensify washing your face; it's just the next step. Use そして for sequence.
✅ 顔を洗った。そして、歯を磨いた。
kao o aratta. soshite, ha o migaita
I washed my face. Then I brushed my teeth.
Mistake 4 — Using さらに in casual conversation. Grammatical but noticeably formal; friends say それに or もっと.
❌（友達に）この店安いよ。さらに、量も多いんだ。
Too formal for chat — reads like a press release. With friends use それに.
✅ この店安いよ。それに、量も多いんだ。
kono mise yasui yo. sore ni, ryō mo ōi n da
This place is cheap. Plus, the portions are big too.
Key takeaways
- さらに escalates. It adds a point that outweighs the last — "furthermore, even more so" — and builds a rising argument, unlike the flat また.
- It doubles as the adverb "even more," naturally sitting before a comparative: さらに良くなる, さらに詳しく.
- It is formal/written: reports, news, presentations. Casual speech uses それに or もっと; その上 and 加えて are formal near-synonyms.
- Wrong tools it replaces: flat parallel facts → また; topic change → ところで; plain sequence → そして. Reserve さらに for genuine intensification.
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- また: Also / Moreover / AgainN3 — また is two words in one spelling — a sentence-initial connector 'also / moreover' that adds a coordinate point, and an in-clause adverb 'again' — and position alone tells them apart: at the head of a sentence with a comma it means 'moreover'; sitting before a verb it means 'again.'
- つまり: In Other Words / That IsN2 — つまり restates or distills what was just said into a sharper, shorter form — 'in other words, that is, in short' — so it always points backward at an existing statement, reframing it rather than adding anything new, and it often closes with 〜ということだ.
- である体: The Formal Written RegisterN2 — である体 — the impersonal register of papers, editorials, and reports — is highly formal yet non-polite: an essay becomes more formal by REMOVING です・ます, because formality and politeness are different axes, the opposite of the intuition English speakers bring.