Posted inN4 Grammar

全然〜ない: Mastering Emphatic Negation in Japanese

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

“not at all”, “completely not”, “absolutely not”

🎯 Primary Function

To strongly emphasize the negation of a verb, i-adjective, na-adjective, or noun.

📋 Grammar Structure

全然 + Negative form of Verb/い-adjective/な-adjective/Noun Verb: 全然 + Verb ない form / ません form い-adjective: 全然 + い-adjective くない form / くありません form な-adjective: 全然 + な-adjective じゃない form / じゃありません form / ではありません form Noun: 全然 + Noun じゃない form / じゃありません form / ではありません form

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Generally avoided in highly formal contexts. Less polite than other negation adverbs.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common and natural in casual conversation.

✍️ Written Language

Primarily used in informal writing (e.g., emails to friends, social media). Less common in formal documents or academic writing.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common in everyday speech.

💡 Common Applications

Expressing complete lack of understanding or knowledge.
Used to state that you have zero understanding of something.
Example: 彼の言っていることが全然分かりません。(Kare no itte iru koto ga zenzen wakarimasen.) – I don’t understand what he’s saying *at all*.
Stating something is completely different or unrelated.
Used to emphasize a total difference or lack of connection.
Example: この味は私が想像していたのと全然違います。(Kono aji wa watashi ga souzou shite ita no to zenzen chigaimasu.) – This taste is completely different from what I imagined.
Describing a feeling or state as totally absent or opposite.
Used to emphasize that a feeling or state (often described by an adjective) is completely absent or the opposite of what might be expected.
Example: 昨夜は全然眠れませんでした。(Sakuya wa zenzen nemuremasen deshita.) – I couldn’t sleep *at all* last night.
📊
Frequency
Very High (in informal contexts)
🎚️
Difficulty
Easy-Medium
Example Sentences
今日のテストは全然難しくなかったです。
The test today was not difficult at all.
彼の話が全然分かりませんでした。
I didn’t understand his story at all.
この本は全然面白くないですね。
This book isn’t interesting at all, is it?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

強調 (Emphasis)
全然 is used to strongly emphasize the negation, meaning “not at all” or “completely not,” making the denial absolute.
Example: 分かりません (I don’t understand) vs. 全然分かりません (I don’t understand *at all*).
現代の口語表現 (Modern Spoken Usage)
While traditionally strictly negative, in very informal, modern Japanese, 全然 can sometimes be used with positive words to mean “completely” or “totally” (e.g., 全然大丈夫 – totally fine). However, this is a newer development and primarily for informal contexts. For N4, focus on the standard negative usage.
Example: A: 手伝おうか？(Shall I help?) B: ううん、全然大丈夫だよ。(No, it’s totally fine.) (Informal usage)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using 全然 with an affirmative form in formal settings or without the specific modern nuance.
✅ Use 全然 only with negative forms (ない, ません, くない, じゃない, etc.) in standard usage.
全然 literally means “not at all,” requiring a negative predicate to complete its meaning in the traditional sense.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Informal. Less polite than adverbs like あまり or ほとんど.
Social Situations: Appropriate for casual conversations with friends, family, or close acquaintances.
Regional Variations: Universally understood across Japan, but frequency might vary slightly by region or age group.

🔍 Subtle Differences

全然〜ない vs. あまり〜ない vs. ほとんど〜ない
全然〜ない = not at all (0%), あまり〜ない = not very much (small degree), ほとんど〜ない = hardly ever/almost none (very close to 0%, but not strictly 0%).
When to use: Use 全然〜ない for complete or strong negation. Use あまり〜ない for partial or weak negation. Use ほとんど〜ない for near-complete absence or infrequency.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

全然 itself does not conjugate. It is an adverb that precedes the negative form of the word it modifies.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced “zen-zen” (ぜんぜん), with equal stress on both syllables. Ensure the “n” sound is clearly articulated before the next syllable.

🧠 Memory Tips

Associate 全然 (ぜんぜん) with “zero” or “zenith of nothingness” to remember its meaning of “not at all”. Visualize a completely empty space or container when you think of 全然.

Practice Exercises
難しいかと思ったけど、( ) 難しくなかった。
あまり
ほとんど
全然
よく
A: 「新しい仕事はどう？」B: 「うーん、( ) 面白くないんだ。」
あまり
ほとんど
全然
とても
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