目錄
Japanese degree adverbs “とても・あまり・全然” are actually quite easy to memorize at first. “とても” means “very,” “あまり〜ない” means “not very,” and “全然〜ない” means “not at all.” The problem usually is not remembering these meanings. It appears once you start listening to real Japanese or watching Japanese dramas and come across sentences that do not seem to match what textbooks taught you. For example, “全然大丈夫” does not contain a negative form, yet you hear it everywhere. Likewise, “とても信じられない” cannot be translated literally as “very unable to believe.”
These expressions may look like exceptions, but they are all related to how the entire sentence expresses degree, affirmation, and negation. Even when describing the same restaurant, changing “とても,” “あまり,” and “全然” can greatly change the strength of the evaluation. Comparing the three together is more useful than memorizing one English meaning for each, and it also helps avoid situations where you recognize every individual word but the sentence still feels strange.
What Do Japanese Degree Adverbs “とても・あまり・全然” Mean? Basic Differences
“とても” indicates that the degree of a quality or state is high and is commonly translated as “very” or “extremely.” It is not inherently positive or negative, so “とても便利” can praise something as very convenient, while “とても高い” can simply mean that something is very expensive.
In beginner Japanese, “あまり” most commonly appears in the pattern “あまり〜ない,” meaning that the degree or frequency is not very high, as in “あまり高くない” or “あまり食べない.” Compared with “全然〜ない,” it leaves more room and does not completely negate the quality or action.
The most basic and stable use of “全然” is “全然〜ない,” meaning “not at all” or “completely not.” In modern everyday Japanese, however, expressions such as “全然大丈夫” and “全然いい” are also extremely common. These affirmative uses are usually not simple degree intensifiers. Instead, they often carry a counter-expectation nuance: someone may have thought there would be a problem, but in reality there is no problem at all.
- Example: この映画はとても面白かったです.
Kana: このえいがはとてもおもしろかったです.
Translation: This movie was very interesting.
“とても” raises the degree of “面白い,” making this the most basic type of high-degree expression. - Example: この部屋はあまり広くありません.
Kana: このへやはあまりひろくありません.
Translation: This room is not very spacious.
“あまり＋negative” indicates that the degree of spaciousness is not high, but it does not state “狭い” as directly. - Example: 今日は全然寒くないです.
Kana: きょうはぜんぜんさむくないです.
Translation: It is not cold at all today.
“全然＋negative” reduces the degree of coldness almost to zero and is the most basic use of “全然.”
Japanese “とても・あまり・全然” Usage Patterns: Affirmative, Negative, and Common Structures
“とても・あまり・全然” are all adverbs, so they do not change form like verbs. In actual use, they are simply placed before the adjective, verb, or state expression they modify.
What really matters is the direction of the pattern. “あまり” and “全然” are both commonly paired with negative expressions in beginner grammar. “とても” most often modifies high-degree affirmative expressions, but it can also appear in the structure “とても〜ない,” which expresses strong impossibility.
| Adverb | Common Pattern | Basic Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| “とても” | Adjectives, state verbs, etc. | Very, extremely | とても便利です |
| “あまり” | Usually paired with a negative | Not very, not much | あまり便利ではありません |
| “全然” | Negative expressions | Not at all, completely not | 全然分かりません |
| “全然” | Certain affirmative expressions in everyday speech | Completely fine, actually okay | 全然大丈夫です |
| “とても〜ない” | Negative possibility or impossibility | Simply cannot… | とても信じられない |
| “あまりに” | Adjectives, verbs, etc. | Too, excessively | あまりに高い |
What Is the Difference Between “あまり〜ない” and “あまりに〜”? Low Degree vs. Excessive Degree
The beginner-level “あまり” usually appears with a negative form, as in “あまり食べません” and “あまり高くない.” “あまりに,” however, means “too” or “excessively” and can be followed directly by an affirmative form.
- Example: この店はあまり高くありません.
Kana: このみせはあまりたかくありません.
Translation: This restaurant is not very expensive.
“あまり＋negative” indicates that the price is not particularly high. - Example: この店はあまりに高いです.
Kana: このみせはあまりにたかいです.
Translation: This restaurant is far too expensive.
Adding only “に” changes the meaning from “not very expensive” to “excessively expensive,” completely reversing the direction.
How Do You Use “とても〜ない”? Expressing “Simply Cannot”
“とても” normally expresses a high degree, as in “とても難しい” or “とても忙しい.” However, when combined with a negative potential form or content expressing impossibility, “とても〜ない” often means “there is simply no way to…” or “it is practically impossible to….”
For this reason, “とても信じられない” should not be translated literally as “very cannot believe.” A natural English translation is “I simply can’t believe it.”
- Example: そんな話はとても信じられません.
Kana: そんなはなしはとてもしんじられません.
Translation: I simply can’t believe a story like that.
“とても＋negative potential” raises the degree of impossibility. - Example: 一人ではとても運べません.
Kana: ひとりではとてもはこべません.
Translation: There is no way I can carry it by myself.
This does not mean “I can’t carry it very well.” It means that completing the task alone is practically impossible.
How to Use Japanese “とても・あまり・全然”: High Degree, Partial Negation, and Complete Negation
The three adverbs can first be understood as roughly representing high, low, and near-zero degree, but actual conversation also depends on evaluation and context. “とても” is not necessarily praise, “あまり” is not simply a grammatical negative, and “全然” cannot automatically be translated as “very” whenever it appears in an affirmative sentence.
“とても” Use ①｜Expressing a High Degree of a Quality or State
“とても” is one of the most stable high-degree adverbs in Japanese and can be used in a wide range of contexts. It sounds natural in casual conversation, restaurant descriptions, travel reviews, workplace explanations, and complete polite sentences.
It simply raises the degree of what follows and does not carry a positive or negative evaluation by itself. “とてもおいしい” is strongly positive, “とても難しい” may simply describe difficulty, and “とても高い” may express dissatisfaction with a high price.
- Example: 駅から近くて、とても便利です.
Kana: えきからちかくて、とてもべんりです.
Translation: It is close to the station and very convenient.
“とても” raises the degree of “便利” and is extremely common in descriptions of hotels and shops. - Example: 先生の説明はとても分かりやすかったです.
Kana: せんせいのせつめいはとてもわかりやすかったです.
Translation: The teacher’s explanation was very easy to understand.
“とても” modifies “分かりやすい” and directly gives a high-degree evaluation. - Example: このホテルは便利ですが、料金がとても高いです.
Kana: このホテルはべんりですが、りょうきんがとてもたかいです.
Translation: This hotel is convenient, but the rates are very high.
“とても” can also intensify the negative evaluation in “高い,” so it should not be memorized as an adverb used only for praise.
“あまり” Use ②｜Using a Negative Form to Lower Degree or Frequency
“あまり〜ない” means that the degree, amount, or frequency of something is not very high. Unlike “全然〜ない,” which pushes the degree almost to zero, “あまり〜ない” leaves room for “some, but not much.”
This softer quality also makes “あまり〜ない” useful for indirect negative evaluations. “あまり好きではありません” avoids directly saying “嫌いです,” while “あまりおいしくなかったです” sounds much softer than “まずかったです.”
- Example: 辛い料理はあまり得意ではありません.
Kana: からいりょうりはあまりとくいではありません.
Translation: I’m not very good with spicy food.
“あまり〜ない” does not say that the speaker cannot eat spicy food at all, so the tone remains more reserved. - Example: 今日はあまり時間がありません.
Kana: きょうはあまりじかんがありません.
Translation: I don’t have much time today.
The speaker may still have some free time, but not very much. - Example: 最近はあまりテレビを見ません.
Kana: さいきんはあまりテレビをみません.
Translation: I don’t watch much television these days.
“あまり” can also lower the frequency of an action and does not mean the action never happens.
“全然” Use ③｜“Not at All” with Negatives and Rejecting a Concern with Affirmatives
“全然〜ない” is the most basic structure and indicates that a degree, ability, frequency, or state is almost completely absent. Compared with “あまり〜ない,” the negative force is clearly stronger.
Modern spoken Japanese also frequently uses “全然大丈夫,” “全然いい,” and “全然平気.” These expressions are not simply using “全然” to intensify “大丈夫” into “very okay.” More often, they respond to an implied negative assumption: someone was worried there might be a problem, but in fact there is nothing to worry about.
- Example: その話は全然知りませんでした.
Kana: そのはなしはぜんぜんしりませんでした.
Translation: I knew absolutely nothing about that.
“全然＋negative” indicates that the speaker had no relevant information, making it stronger than “あまり知りませんでした.” - Example: 昨日は全然眠れませんでした.
Kana: きのうはぜんぜんねむれませんでした.
Translation: I couldn’t sleep at all last night.
The speaker was barely able to sleep, rather than simply sleeping poorly. - Example: 遅くなっても全然大丈夫ですよ.
Kana: おそくなってもぜんぜんだいじょうぶですよ.
Translation: It is completely fine if you are a little late.
“全然” removes the other person’s concern that arriving late might cause a problem and carries a counter-expectation nuance.
Difference Between Japanese “とても・あまり・全然”: Degree and Affirmative vs. Negative Usage
The most basic way to distinguish the three is to first look at where the degree falls. “とても” raises the degree, “あまり〜ない” indicates that the degree is not high, and “全然〜ない” pushes the degree close to zero.
When you encounter “全然＋affirmative,” however, you need to look one step further: is there an underlying expectation that something might be unacceptable, problematic, or bad? Many natural affirmative uses of “全然” are connected to this kind of background assumption.
| Point of Comparison | “とても” | “あまり〜ない” | “全然〜ない” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic degree | High | Not high | Near zero |
| Typical polarity | Usually affirmative | Negative | Negative |
| Common English | Very, extremely | Not very, not much | Not at all |
| Amount of reservation | Little | More | Little |
| Common use | Clearly describing degree | Softening evaluations or frequency | Strong negation |
| Formality in everyday use | Broadly usable | Broadly usable | Negative use is broadly usable |
Difference Between “あまり〜ない” and “全然〜ない”｜Partial Degree vs. Almost Zero
Both “あまり” and “全然” commonly appear with negative forms, but their strength is different.
“日本語があまり分かりません” means that you do not understand Japanese very well but may still understand some of it. “日本語が全然分かりません” means that you understand almost none of it.
- Example: この説明はあまり分かりません.
Kana: このせつめいはあまりわかりません.
Translation: I don’t understand this explanation very well.
The speaker may still understand part of it, but overall comprehension is limited. - Example: この説明は全然分かりません.
Kana: このせつめいはぜんぜんわかりません.
Translation: I don’t understand this explanation at all.
The degree of understanding is close to zero, making this much stronger than “あまり.”
Difference Between “とても” and “全然＋Affirmative”｜Ordinary High Degree vs. Rejecting an Expectation
Both “とてもいい” and “全然いい” may sometimes be translated as “very good” or “totally fine,” but their actual nuances are different.
“とてもいい” simply gives a high-degree evaluation. “全然いい” is often used after someone worries that something may not be acceptable or may cause a problem, and means something closer to “that is completely fine” or “there is actually no problem at all.”
A：この席でもいいですか。
Is this seat okay too?
B：はい、とてもいい席です。
Yes, it is a very good seat.
This is simply a direct evaluation of the quality of the seat.
A：この席でも大丈夫ですか。
Is it okay if I sit here?
B：全然大丈夫ですよ。
It is completely fine.
Here, “全然” removes the concern that the seat might not be acceptable.
Is “全然大丈夫” Incorrect Japanese? The History and Modern Use of “全然＋Affirmative”
It is not accurate to simply call it incorrect. Historically, “全然” was not originally restricted to negative expressions and could also appear with affirmative content. Later, “全然〜ない” became extremely typical, and school grammar long emphasized this negative pairing, which is why some speakers may feel that expressions such as “全然おいしい” sound unusual.
In modern spoken Japanese, “全然大丈夫” and “全然いい” are already extremely common. However, these expressions often contain a “contrary to what you were worried about” nuance rather than simply using “全然” as a substitute for “とても.”
Natural:
全然大丈夫です。
It is completely fine.
全然いいですよ。
That is totally fine.
Possible depending on context:
思っていたより、全然おいしい。
It is much tastier than I expected.
Less suitable as a fixed beginner formula:
今日は全然楽しいです。
If there is no comparison or counter-expectation context and you simply want to say “I’m having a very good time today,” “とても楽しいです” is more stable.
What Does Japanese “とても〜ない” Mean? How Is It Different from Ordinary “とても”?
“とても” has another use that frequently appears in intermediate-level reading: “とても＋negative potential／impossibility expression.”
In this structure, “とても” is no longer simply the ordinary “very.” Instead, it indicates that something is essentially impossible under the current conditions and is often translated as “simply cannot,” “there is no way,” or “it is practically impossible.”
Ordinary degree:
この問題はとても難しいです。
This problem is very difficult.
Strong impossibility:
この問題は難しすぎて、とても解けません。
This problem is too difficult. I simply cannot solve it.
In the second sentence, the main point is no longer simply intensifying “解けない.” It directly judges the task as almost impossible to complete.
- Example: この量は一人ではとても食べきれません.
Kana: このりょうはひとりではとてもたべきれません.
Translation: There is no way one person could finish this amount of food.
“とても〜ない” indicates that completing the task alone is practically impossible. - Example: そんな高いバッグはとても買えません.
Kana: そんなたかいバッグはとてもかえません.
Translation: There is no way I can afford such an expensive bag.
This does not simply mean that the speaker chooses not to buy it. The price is beyond what they can realistically afford. - Example: 今の状況では、とても間に合いそうにありません.
Kana: いまのじょうきょうでは、とてもまにあいそうにありません.
Translation: Under the current circumstances, it really does not look like we will make it in time.
“とても” combines with a negative possibility judgment and strengthens the sense that success is unlikely.
How Do “とても・あまり・全然” Change a Restaurant Review? Comparing Tone in the Same Sentence
Degree adverbs have a strong effect on how direct an evaluation sounds. When reviewing the same restaurant, “とてもおいしい,” “あまりおいしくない,” and “全然おいしくない” do more than simply replace one adverb with another. They change the speaker’s overall attitude.
この店はとてもおいしいです。
This restaurant is very good.
この店はあまりおいしくありません。
This restaurant is not very good.
この店は全然おいしくありません。
This restaurant is not good at all.
The second sentence still leaves some room, while the third almost completely rejects the quality of the food. For this reason, “あまり〜ない” is often easier to use than “全然〜ない” when speaking directly to staff or the person involved.
“全然おいしい” belongs to another pattern:
思ったより全然おいしいです。
It is much tastier than I expected.
This usually implies that the speaker had low expectations but found the food considerably better than expected. Even if the preceding context is omitted, the sentence may still be understood, but it does not have exactly the same nuance as ordinary “とてもおいしい.”
Japanese “とても・あまり・全然” in Real Conversation: Restaurants, Work, and Everyday Responses
Degree adverbs frequently control how direct a sentence sounds in actual conversation. “とても” clearly expresses a degree, “あまり〜ない” leaves some room in negative evaluations, while “全然” often appears in strong negatives or responses that remove someone’s concern.
Scenario ①｜Talking About How Spicy a Dish Is at a Restaurant
A：このカレー、辛いですか。
このカレー、からいですか。
Is this curry spicy?
B：少し辛いですが、とてもおいしいですよ。
すこしからいですが、とてもおいしいですよ。
It is a little spicy, but it is very good.
📌 Grammar Point: “とても” simply raises the degree of “おいしい” and does not add any counter-expectation or reservation.
Scenario ②｜Politely Saying You Are Not Very Fond of a Certain Type of Food
A：辛いものは好きですか。
からいものはすきですか。
Do you like spicy food?
B：実は、あまり得意ではありません。
じつは、あまりとくいではありません。
Actually, I’m not very good with spicy food.
📌 Grammar Point: “あまり〜ない” avoids directly saying “嫌い” and simply indicates that the speaker’s tolerance or preference is not very high, leaving more room in the response.
Scenario ③｜Responding to Someone Worried About Causing Trouble
A：少し遅れても大丈夫ですか。
すこしおくれてもだいじょうぶですか。
Is it okay if I’m a little late?
B：はい、全然大丈夫ですよ。
はい、ぜんぜんだいじょうぶですよ。
Yes, that is completely fine. Don’t worry about it.
📌 Grammar Point: “全然大丈夫” rejects the underlying assumption that arriving slightly late might cause a problem, so it is more natural to understand it as “there is absolutely no problem” rather than “very okay.”
Cultural Notes:
- “全然＋affirmative” is often discussed as “younger people’s colloquial Japanese,” but historically “全然” was used with both affirmative and negative expressions. Modern expressions such as “全然大丈夫” are also already very common. In formal writing, however, depending on the style, “まったく問題ありません” or simply “問題ありません” may still be preferred.
- “あまり〜ない” is useful for reducing the directness of negative evaluations. “この映画はあまり面白くなかった” is still a negative review, but it is less forceful than “全然面白くなかった.”
- “とても” itself has no positive or negative orientation. “とても好き” means “like very much,” while “とても嫌い” can mean “dislike very much.” The word that follows determines the direction of the evaluation.
How Do Japanese “とても・あまり・全然” Compare with Korean “아주／매우・별로・전혀”?
Japanese and Korean both have degree adverbs, and both languages include expressions that need to be interpreted together with negation. Japanese “とても” can be compared with Korean “아주” and “매우,” “あまり〜ない” is very close to “별로〜지 않다,” and “全然〜ない” closely matches “전혀〜지 않다.”
However, these words cannot always be replaced word for word. In particular, modern Japanese “全然大丈夫” strongly reflects counter-expectation, so Korean cannot simply use “전혀” in every affirmative sentence just because dictionaries often match “全然” with “전혀.”
◆ Similar Expression ①: Korean “아주／매우”
“아주” and “매우” both raise the degree of the following adjective or state and are similar in direction to Japanese “とても.” “아주” is very common and natural in everyday conversation. “매우” also expresses a high degree but is more likely to appear in formal explanations, written language, or relatively objective statements. Neither is restricted to positive evaluations, so they can express “very good,” “very difficult,” or “very expensive.”
- Example: 이 카페는 아주 조용해요.
Romanization: i ka-pe-neun a-ju jo-yong-hae-yo.
Translation: This café is very quiet.
“아주” raises the degree of “조용하다” and functions similarly to Japanese “とても静かです.” It sounds natural in everyday descriptions of shops or environments. - Example: 오늘 날씨가 아주 좋아요.
Romanization: o-neul nal-ssi-ga a-ju jo-a-yo.
Translation: The weather is very nice today.
Here, “아주” simply increases the degree of “좋다,” similar to Japanese “今日はとても天気がいいです.” - Example: 이 문제는 매우 어렵습니다.
Romanization: i mun-je-neun mae-u eo-ryeop-seum-ni-da.
Translation: This problem is very difficult.
“매우” modifies “어렵다” and indicates a high level of difficulty. Combined with “-습니다,” it has a somewhat more formal explanatory tone and also shows that “매우” is not limited to positive evaluation.
◆ Similar Expression ②: Korean “별로〜지 않다”
“별로” most commonly appears with a negative expression and indicates that a degree, preference, or frequency is not very high, making it close to Japanese “あまり〜ない.” It normally does not completely negate something, so “별로 좋아하지 않아요” means “do not like very much,” while “별로 어렵지 않아요” means “not very difficult.” Both leave some room in the degree.
- Example: 매운 음식은 별로 좋아하지 않아요.
Romanization: mae-un eum-sik-eun byeol-lo jo-a-ha-ji a-na-yo.
Translation: I don’t really like spicy food.
“별로＋negative” lowers the degree of liking without directly saying “싫어해요,” making it similar in nuance to Japanese “あまり好きではありません.” - Example: 이 영화는 별로 재미있지 않았어요.
Romanization: i yeong-hwa-neun byeol-lo jae-mi-it-ji a-nat-sseo-yo.
Translation: This movie was not very interesting.
“별로 재미있지 않다” gives a negative evaluation but still leaves more room than directly saying “재미없었어요.” It is close to Japanese “あまり面白くなかったです.” - Example: 요즘은 텔레비전을 별로 보지 않아요.
Romanization: yo-jeum-eun tel-le-bi-jeon-eul byeol-lo bo-ji a-na-yo.
Translation: I don’t watch much television these days.
“별로” can also reduce the frequency of an action and does not mean that it never happens, much like Japanese “最近はあまりテレビを見ません.”
◆ Similar Expression ③: Korean “전혀〜지 않다”
“전혀” with a negative form indicates that a state, degree, or action is almost completely absent, making it very close to Japanese “全然〜ない.” Compared with “별로〜지 않다,” “전혀〜지 않다” has much stronger negative force and is often equivalent to “not at all.”
- Example: 그 소식은 전혀 몰랐어요.
Romanization: geu so-sik-eun jeon-hyeo mol-lat-sseo-yo.
Translation: I knew absolutely nothing about that news.
“전혀” combines with negative content to push the degree of knowing almost to zero, similar to Japanese “その話は全然知りませんでした.” - Example: 어제는 전혀 못 잤어요.
Romanization: eo-je-neun jeon-hyeo mot jat-sseo-yo.
Translation: I couldn’t sleep at all last night.
“전혀 못 자다” means that the speaker was almost completely unable to sleep and is stronger than “별로 못 잤어요,” closely matching Japanese “昨日は全然眠れませんでした.” - Example: 이 문제는 전혀 어렵지 않아요.
Romanization: i mun-je-neun jeon-hyeo eo-ryeop-ji a-na-yo.
Translation: This problem is not difficult at all.
“전혀 어렵지 않다” directly negates the degree of difficulty and is very close in both structure and nuance to Japanese “この問題は全然難しくないです.”
◆ Core Differences Between the Three Japanese Degree Adverbs:
“とても” and Korean “아주／매우” both raise the degree of what follows and do not determine whether the evaluation is positive or negative. “あまり〜ない” and “별로〜지 않다” both lower degree or frequency while generally leaving some room. “全然〜ない” and “전혀〜지 않다” create much stronger negation and are often equivalent to “not at all.”
The part that cannot be transferred directly is the modern spoken Japanese use of “全然大丈夫” and “全然いい.” Although Korean “전혀” can also appear in some expressions whose meanings already contain a negative element, you cannot simply replace every Japanese “全然＋affirmative” structure with “전혀＋affirmative” just because “全然” often corresponds to “전혀.” The collocation patterns and overall context of each language still need to be considered separately.
The main reason “とても・あまり・全然” become confusing is usually not their dictionary meanings, but the way English translations can flatten the differences between them. Both “あまりおいしくない” and “全然おいしくない” can be translated as “not good,” but the first leaves some room while the second is much more direct. Likewise, “とても高い” simply raises the degree of “expensive” and carries no praise whatsoever.
Everyday expressions such as “全然大丈夫” and “全然いい” can be understood in the same way. They often appear when the other person is already worried, hesitant, or thinks something might not be acceptable, so they sound more like “it really is completely fine” than an ordinary “大丈夫です.” When you encounter “とても〜ない,” it is also worth stopping for a moment: in many cases, it already means “simply impossible” rather than ordinary high degree.
FAQ
No. “とても” simply indicates a high degree and has no positive or negative evaluation by itself. You can say “とてもおいしい” and “とても便利,” but also “とても高い,” “とても難しい,” and “とても嫌い.”
In addition, “とても＋negative potential” can mean “simply cannot….” For example, “とても信じられない” means “I simply cannot believe it.”
For beginner Japanese, the safest pattern is to remember the adverbial “あまり” meaning “not very…” together with a negative, as in “あまり食べない” and “あまり高くない.”
However, “あまりに” is another common structure meaning “too” or “excessively,” as in “あまりに高い” and “あまりに突然だった.” “あまり〜ない” and “あまりに〜” should not be treated as the same meaning.
It is not accurate to simply label them incorrect. In modern everyday Japanese, both “全然いい” and “全然大丈夫” are extremely common, and historically “全然” was not always restricted to negative expressions either.
However, these affirmative uses often reject a negative expectation. For example, when someone worries “Is this okay?” answering “全然大丈夫” means “there is absolutely no problem.” In formal documents, if you want to avoid colloquial tone, “問題ありません” is usually a safer choice.
Not completely. “とてもおいしい” simply means that something tastes very good. “全然おいしい” is more likely to appear when the speaker expected the food might not taste good but discovers that it is actually much better than expected.
Therefore, if you simply want to praise food without any comparison or unexpected background, “とてもおいしい” is more stable.
“あまり分からない” means that you do not understand very well but may still understand part of the content. “全然分からない” means that you understand almost nothing.
For example, if you understand the general idea but cannot follow the details, “あまり分かりません” can work. If you can barely understand anything from beginning to end, “全然分かりません” is a better match for the actual degree.