全然・あまり・そんなに + Negative: How to Soften and Strengthen 'Not'
Three ways to say how much something isn't
These three adverbs tell you how much something is not the case. In standard Japanese they set up a sentence that finishes with a negative predicate, and each one marks a different degree. 全然 is the strongest ("zero, not at all"), あまり is in the middle ("not very, not much"), and そんなに points at an expected amount and denies it ("not that much"). Think of them as the negative-side partners to plain quantity words.
ヤッタンは漢字が全然分からない。
ヤッタンは かんじが ぜんぜん わからない。
Yattan doesn't understand kanji at all.
この店はあまり高くない。
この みせは あまり たかくない。
This shop isn't very expensive.
モチはそんなに食べない。
モチは そんなに たべない。
Mochi doesn't eat that much.
The adverb sets the degree; the predicate carries the negative
Each adverb sits before the predicate, and the predicate takes its normal negative form — verb, い-adjective, or な-adjective/noun. The adverb itself never changes shape; it just signals which degree of "not" is coming.
| Adverb | Core meaning | Pairs with | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 全然 (ぜんぜん) | not at all (0%) | negative | 全然知らない = I don't know at all |
| あまり (amari) | not very / not much | negative | あまり食べない = I don't eat much |
| そんなに | not that / not so much | negative | そんなに寒くない = It's not that cold |
The negative follows the usual rules: verbs → 〜ない (or 〜ません), い-adjectives → 〜くない (or 〜くありません), な-adjectives and nouns → 〜じゃない (or 〜ではありません). If you have not locked down negatives yet, review plain 〜ない forms patterns and the polite ます negatives in 〜ます.
全然 — the emphatic, flat zero
全然 is the strongest of the three: it claims a complete zero, "not one bit."
先生の話が全然聞こえなかった。
せんせいの はなしが ぜんぜん きこえなかった。
I couldn't hear the teacher at all.
ヤッタンの弟は野菜を全然食べない。
ヤッタンの おとうとは やさいを ぜんぜん たべない。
Yattan's little brother doesn't eat vegetables at all.
あまり and そんなに — partial denials
Where 全然 slams the door, these two leave it ajar. あまり softens the claim to "not very." In casual speech it often becomes あんまり (an extra ん for emphasis), and you will hear that constantly in conversation.
この問題はあまり難しくない。
この もんだいは あまり むずかしくない。
This problem isn't very hard.
モチは朝、あんまりしゃべらない。
モチは あさ、あんまり しゃべらない。
Mochi doesn't talk much in the morning.
あんまり is the casual form of あまり.
そんなに does something different: it pushes back against an assumption — someone expects a lot, and you deny it. It is great for "it's not that big a deal."
この映画、そんなに面白くなかった。
この えいが、そんなに おもしろくなかった。
This movie wasn't that interesting.
テストはそんなに悪くなかったよ。
テストは そんなに わるくなかったよ。
The test wasn't that bad.
When 全然 flips to the positive
Textbooks teach 全然 strictly with a negative, but in everyday spoken Japanese — especially among younger speakers — 全然 + positive has become common to mean "totally" or "absolutely." The classic example is 全然大丈夫 ("totally fine, no problem at all").
「待たせてごめん。」「全然大丈夫だよ。」
「またせて ごめん。」「ぜんぜん だいじょうぶだよ。」
'Sorry to keep you waiting.' 'It's totally fine.'
Casual 全然 + positive; common in speech but avoid it in formal writing.
This usage is fine in casual conversation, but keep 全然 with a negative in formal writing and on the JLPT — that is still the standard expectation.
Where learners slip
- Forgetting the negative. ×全然分かる for "I totally get it" is nonstandard. Standard 全然 needs a negative: 全然分からない ("I don't get it at all").
- Mixing up the degrees. あまり is "not very," not "not at all." For a flat zero, use 全然.
- Using そんなに out of the blue. そんなに〜ない pushes back on an expected amount, so it sounds odd with no context. If there is no assumption to deny, あまり〜ない is the safer "not much."
- Dropping the negative with あまり. あまり on its own (with a positive) means "too much / excess," a different word. The "not much" meaning only works with a negative ending.
The short version
- 全然〜ない = not at all (strongest); あまり〜ない = not very / not much; そんなに〜ない = not that much.
- All three expect a negative predicate (verb, い-adj, or な-adj/noun).
- あまり → あんまり in casual speech.
- 全然 + positive (全然大丈夫) is casual/modern — fine when chatting, not for formal use.
- The big error is dropping the negative: 全然分かる is nonstandard for "I totally understand."
Practice it
Choose the right degree adverb (全然 / あまり / そんなに) and complete the negative.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
彼女は自分の仕事に＿＿＿熱意を示さない。
Frequently asked questions
Why does 全然 need a negative?
In standard Japanese 全然 sets up a complete denial, so it pairs with a negative predicate: 全然分からない ('don't understand at all'). The casual 全然 + positive (全然大丈夫) exists in speech but isn't standard for writing or the JLPT.
What's the difference between 全然 and あまり?
全然〜ない is a flat zero ('not at all'), while あまり〜ない is partial ('not very, not much'). 全然食べない = doesn't eat at all; あまり食べない = doesn't eat much.
Is あんまり wrong?
No — あんまり is just the casual spoken form of あまり, with the same 'not much' meaning and the same negative ending. Use あまり in writing and あんまり in relaxed conversation.
When do I use そんなに instead of あまり?
そんなに〜ない denies an expected amount ('not that much'), so it fits when someone assumes something is very big, hard, or fun. With no such assumption, あまり〜ない is the more neutral choice.
Where 全然・あまり・そんなに + Negative fits
Don't confuse it with
- 〜しか〜ない · N4 — 〜しか always pairs with a negative verb to mean 'only / nothing but,' with a 'not enough' nuance: 百円しかない. Learn the formation, particle rules, and しか vs だけ.
Once this clicks, go on to
- 〜ばかり · N4 — ばかり has two main N4 jobs: 'nothing but / only too much' (ゲームばかり) and 'just did' (来たばかり). Learn 〜てばかりいる and how 〜たばかり differs from 〜たところ and だけ.
More N4 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜かもしれない — かもしれない means 'might' or 'maybe' — it shows you're unsure. Learn how it attaches to plain verbs, adjectives, and nouns, plus the casual かも and how it ranks against でしょう and はず.
- Potential Form — The potential form means 'can / be able to': 食べる→食べられる, 書く→書ける, する→できる. Learn how to form it by verb group, the が particle shift, and ら-抜き.
- 〜ようになる — 〜ようになる describes a change — something that wasn't true or possible before, but now is. Learn the formation, nuance, and see 12 example sentences with a quick practice quiz.
- 〜始める・〜続ける・〜終わる・〜出す — Compound verbs of phase: add 〜始める, 〜続ける, 〜終わる, or 〜出す to a verb's ます-stem to say start, keep, finish, or suddenly begin doing something.
- 〜てある — 〜てある marks a state someone created on purpose: 窓が開けてある ('the window has been opened'). Learn the formation, the が particle, and how it differs from 〜ている.
- 〜ていく — 〜ていく has two big jobs: doing something then going (持っていく = take along), and a change continuing from now into the future (暑くなっていく). See how it mirrors 〜てくる.