Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“Not very,” “not much,” or “seldom.” It functions as an adverb of degree or frequency.
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate a partial or low degree of a state or action, requiring a negative predicate (V-ない, A-くない, etc.) in the standard usage.
📋 Grammar Structure
あまり + Verb (ない-form) / Verb (ません-form)
あまり + i-adjective (stem) + くない / ありません
あまり + na-adjective + ではない / ではありません
あまり + Negative form (V-ない, A-くない, N/Na-ではない)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used commonly, particularly with polite negative forms (e.g., ではありません, ません).
Informal Situations
Used frequently in casual conversation.
Written Language
Used in descriptive writing, dialogue in novels, and articles.
Spoken Language
Extremely common in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Limited Degree (Adjectives)
Used before an adjective (usually in its negative form) to express that a quality exists only to a low degree.
Example: このケーキはあまり甘くないです。 (Kono kēki wa amari amaku nai desu. – This cake is not very sweet.)
Expressing Low Frequency (Verbs)
Used before a verb in its negative form to express that an action happens infrequently or rarely.
Example: 最近、友達とあまり会いません。 (Saikin, tomodachi to amari aimasen. – I don’t meet my friends much recently.)
Expressing Excess/Extremity (Affirmative Exception)
When used in the structure 「あまりの〜に」, it means “too much,” “excessive,” or “so much,” often followed by a consequence. This is a common exception to the general negative rule.
Example: あまりの悲しさに、彼女は泣き崩れた。 (Amari no kanashisa ni, kanojo wa nakikuzureta. – Due to the excessive sadness, she broke down crying.)
Frequency
High. It is one of the most common adverbs in daily Japanese conversation.
Difficulty
N3-N4 (Core usage is N5, but nuances and structures like あまりの～に are N3/N2)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
晩ご飯をあまり食べません。
Furigana: ばんごはんをあまりたべません。
Romaji: Bangohan o amari tabemasen.
English: I don’t eat much for dinner.
Example #2
あの映画はあまり面白くありませんでした。
Furigana: あのえいがはあまりおもしろくありませんでした。
Romaji: Ano eiga wa amari omoshiroku arimasen deshita.
English: That movie wasn’t very interesting.
Example #3
自分の昔の事をあまり話しません。
Furigana: じぶんのむかしのことをあまりはなしません。
Romaji: Jibun no mukashi no koto o amari hanashimasen.
English: I seldom talk about my past.
Example #4
彼は料理があまり上手ではありません。
Furigana: かれはりょうりがあまりじょうずではありません。
Romaji: Kare wa ryōri ga amari jōzu de wa arimasen.
English: He isn’t very good at cooking.
Example #5
締め切りまであまり時間がありません。
Furigana: しめきりまであまりじかんがありません。
Romaji: Shimekiri made amari jikan ga arimasen.
English: I don’t have much time until the deadline.
Example #6
先生の説明はあまり理解できませんでした。
Furigana: せんせいのせつめいはあまりりかいできませんでした。
Romaji: Sensei no setsumei wa amari rikai dekimasen deshita.
English: I couldn’t understand the teacher’s explanation very well.
Example #7
このコーヒーはあまり熱くないです。ちょうどいいです。
Furigana: このコーヒーはあまりあつくないです。ちょうどいいです。
Romaji: Kono kōhī wa amari atsuku nai desu. Chōdo ii desu.
English: This coffee is not too hot. It’s just right.
Example #8
最近、天気があまり安定していません。
Furigana: さいきん、てんきがあまりあんていしていません。
Romaji: Saikin, tenki ga amari antei shite imasen.
English: The weather is not very stable recently.
Example #9
あまりの雨に、試合は延期になった。
Furigana: あまりのあめに、しあいはえんきになった。
Romaji: Amari no ame ni, shiai wa enki ni natta.
English: Due to the excessive rain, the game was postponed. (Affirmative usage)
Example #10
彼女は普段、あまり不平を言いません。
Furigana: かのじょはふだん、あまりふへいをいいません。
Romaji: Kanojo wa fudan, amari fuhei o iimasen.
English: She doesn’t usually complain.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Must be paired with a Negative Predicate (V-ない, A-くない).
The cardinal rule for あまり is its connection with negation. For the meaning “not very/much,” you must use a negative predicate.
Example: あまり熱心ではない。 (Amari nesshin de wa nai. – I’m not very enthusiastic.)
It can quantify existence (with がある / がない).
あまり acts on the quantity or degree of the noun’s existence, modifying the negation of the verb (ある/ない).
Example: あまり時間がない。 (Amari jikan ga nai. – I don’t have much time.)
The form 「あまりに(も)」 expresses “Too much/Excessively.”
The structure 「あまりに(も)」 is used to mean “too much” or “excessively” and is often followed by a positive/affirmative predicate. This structure is distinct from the standard use of あまり.
Example: あまりにも難しい。 (Amari ni mo muzukashii. – It is far too difficult.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ あまりおいしいです (Amari oishii desu)
✅ あまりおいしくない (Amari oishiku nai)
あまり must be followed by a negative predicate in standard usage. Using it with a positive predicate is grammatically incorrect for the meaning “not very.”
❌ あまり公園に行きません vs. めったに公園に行きません
✅ あまり知りません (Amari shirimasen)
In the context of frequency, while めったに (mettani) emphasizes rarity, あまり just states “not much/often.” While context is key, あまり is less emphatic than ぜんぜん or めったに.
❌ この仕事はあまり重要です。 (Kono shigoto wa amari jūyō desu. – Intended meaning: This job is too important.)
✅ この仕事はあまり重要ではありません。 (Kono shigoto wa amari jūyō de wa arimasen.)
While the nuance of “too much” is possible with あまり (e.g., in the structure あまりに), the default function of あまり as an adverb of degree requires negation for the meaning “not very.” To express “too much,” other adverbs like すぎる (sugiru) or あまりに are usually used.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness depends on the negative ending used (e.g., ではありません is formal, じゃない is informal).
Social Situations: Used widely in all social settings to hedge or limit statements, making them less direct than total negation (e.g., “It’s not very good” vs. “It’s bad”).
Regional Variations: Standard across all regions. No significant regional variation in its core usage.
🔍 Subtle Differences
あまり～ない (Amari ~ nai) vs. ぜんぜん～ない (Zenzen ~ nai)
あまり means “not much” or “not very” (partial negation), while ぜんぜん means “not at all” (total negation).
When to use: Use あまり when the quality/action exists to a low degree. Use ぜんぜん when the quality/action does not exist in any degree.
あまり～ない (Amari ~ nai) vs. めったに～ない (Mettani ~ nai)
あまり expresses low frequency or low degree. めったに strictly expresses low frequency (“rarely”).
When to use: Use めったに when specifically focusing on how rare an event is. Use あまり when describing a low degree of frequency or intensity.
あまり～ない (Amari ~ nai) vs. ほとんど～ない (Hotondo ~ nai)
ほとんど～ない means “hardly ever” or “almost none,” implying a degree closer to zero than あまり～ない.
When to use: Use ほとんど～ない for a stronger, near-total negation (e.g., “I hardly ever see him”). Use あまり～ない for a softer, mid-level negation (e.g., “I don’t see him much”).
📝 Conjugation Notes
あまり is an adverb, so it does not conjugate. It modifies the verb or adjective that follows it. Its form is fixed, but the predicate it modifies must be conjugated into the appropriate negative tense (present, past, plain, polite).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce the two ‘a’ sounds clearly: ‘a-ma-ri’. The stress is generally flat, with no strong emphasis on any syllable.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of the “A” in Amari standing for “Almost,” meaning the condition or action is *almost* non-existent or *almost* not applicable. This helps remember its nature as a limiter used with negation.
Other Grammar
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