Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Not at all; not in the least.
🎯 Primary Function
To provide strong emphasis to a negative statement, indicating a total absence of a quality, action, or state.
📋 Grammar Structure
全然 + Verb (negative form: ～ない / ～ません)
全然 + i-Adjective (negative form: ～くない)
全然 + na-Adjective (negative form: ～ではない / ～じゃない)
全然 + [Negative Predicate]
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in polite speech (Desu/Masu) during business meetings or with superiors to clearly state a lack of something.
Informal Situations
Extremely common in daily conversation among friends to express frustration, surprise, or reassurance.
Written Language
Common in emails, social media, and stories. In very formal literature, ‘Mattaku’ might be preferred.
Spoken Language
Frequent. Often shortened or emphasized with a slight pause after ‘Zenzen’.
💡 Common Applications
Emphasizing Inability
Used to emphasize that the speaker completely lacks a certain ability.
Example: 全然泳げない (Zenzen oyogenai) – I can’t swim at all.
Describing Lack of Change
Used to point out that something remains exactly as it was.
Example: 全然変わっていない (Zenzen kawatte inai) – Hasn’t changed at all.
Expressing Absence of Feeling/State
Used to reassure someone or describe one’s physical state.
Example: 全然痛くない (Zenzen itakunai) – It doesn’t hurt at all.
Frequency
Very High
Difficulty
JLPT N4 (Basic/Intermediate)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
先生の言っていることが全然分かりません。
Furigana: せんせい(先生)のい(言)っていることがぜんぜん(全然)わかり(分か)りません。
Romaji: Sensei no itte iru koto ga zenzen wakarimasen.
English: I don’t understand what the teacher is saying at all.
Example #2
ゆうべはうるさくて全然寝られませんでした。
Furigana: ゆうべはうるさくてぜんぜん(全然)ね(寝)られませんでした。
Romaji: Yuube wa urusakute zenzen neraremasen deshita.
English: I couldn’t sleep at all last night because of the noise.
Example #3
この数学の問題は全然難しくないです。
Furigana: このすうがく(数学)のぶんだい(問題)はぜんぜん(全然)むずか(難)しくないです。
Romaji: Kono suugaku no mondai wa zenzen muzukashikunai desu.
English: This math problem is not difficult at all.
Example #4
弟は全然勉強しません。
Furigana: おとうと(弟)はぜんぜん(全然)べんきょう(勉強)しません。
Romaji: Otouto wa zenzen benkyou shimasen.
English: My younger brother doesn’t study at all.
Example #5
このカレーは全然辛くないです。おいしいです。
Furigana: このカレーはぜんぜん(全然)から(辛)くないです。おいしいです。
Romaji: Kono karee wa zenzen karakunai desu. Oishii desu.
English: This curry is not spicy at all. It’s delicious.
Example #6
今日は忙しくて全然暇じゃないです。
Furigana: きょう(今日)はいそが(忙)しくてぜんぜん(全然)ひま(暇)じゃないです。
Romaji: Kyou wa isogashikute zenzen hima janai desu.
English: I’m not free at all today because I have a lot of work.
Example #7
今、お金が全然ありません。
Furigana: いま(今)、おかね(お金)がぜんぜん(全然)ありません。
Romaji: Ima, okane ga zenzen arimasen.
English: I don’t have any money at all right now.
Example #8
あの映画は全然面白くなかったです。
Furigana: あのえいが(映画)はぜんぜん(全然)おもしろ(面白)くなかったです。
Romaji: Ano eiga wa zenzen omoshirokunakatta desu.
English: That movie wasn’t interesting at all.
Example #9
田中さんは10年前から全然変わりませんね。
Furigana: たなか(田中)さんは１０ねんまえ(10年前)からぜんぜん(全然)か(変)わりませんね。
Romaji: Tanaka-san wa juunen mae kara zenzen kawarimasen ne.
English: Tanaka-san hasn’t changed at all since ten years ago.
Example #10
今日は全然外出実したくないです。
Furigana: きょう(今日)はぜんぜん(全然)がいしゅつ(外出)したくないです。
Romaji: Kyou wa zenzen gaishutsu shitakunai desu.
English: I don’t feel like going out at all today.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The ‘Positive’ Zenzen Slang
While ‘Zenzen’ is traditionally for negatives, in modern spoken Japanese, ‘Zenzen daijoubu’ (Totally okay) is widely accepted. However, avoid this in exams.
Example: 全然大丈夫です (Zenzen daijoubu desu)
Formality vs. Mattaku
‘Mattaku’ is more formal and carries a stronger sense of ‘totally’ or ‘completely’ than ‘Zenzen’.
Example: 全く分からない (Mattaku wakaranai)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ‘Zenzen’ when you actually understand a small amount.
✅ あまり分かりません (Amari wakarimasen)
‘Zenzen’ implies zero percent. If you understand a little bit, use ‘Amari’ (not much) instead.
❌ Zenzen isogashii (as a negative intent).
✅ 全然忙しくない (Zenzen isogashikunai)
‘Zenzen’ must be followed by a negative form in standard Japanese.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Standard polite to casual. In highly formal contexts, ‘Mattaku’ (全く) is often used instead.
Social Situations: In modern slang, young people use ‘Zenzen’ with positive adjectives (e.g., ‘Zenzen daijoubu’ – Totally fine), but this is grammatically incorrect in traditional Japanese and for the JLPT.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan, though intonation may vary.
🔍 Subtle Differences
Zenzen vs. Amari
‘Zenzen’ means 0% (not at all), while ‘Amari’ means around 10-20% (not very much).
When to use: Use ‘Zenzen’ for total negation and ‘Amari’ for partial negation.
Zenzen vs. Mattaku
‘Mattaku’ is more formal and can also be used as an exclamation of frustration.
When to use: Use ‘Mattaku’ in formal writing or when extremely frustrated.
📝 Conjugation Notes
‘Zenzen’ does not change its form. It is an adverb that modifies the following negative verb or adjective.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce ‘Zen-zen’ with equal stress on both syllables to sound natural. Avoid dragging out the final ‘n’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘Zenzen’ as ‘Zero-Zen’. It represents ‘Zero’ progress or ‘Zero’ quality of the following word.
Other Grammar
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