adverbial N1 uncommon politewritten
あくまでも — to the very end / persistently / strictly
あくまでも
Meaning
① ①: to the very end / persistently / stubbornly — sticking to a stance no matter what
② ②: strictly / merely / only — qualifying that something is no more than what is stated
Key sentence
① ①
彼はあくまでも自分の意見を曲げなかった。
He stuck to his own opinion right to the very end.
② ②
これはあくまでも私個人の意見です。
This is strictly just my personal opinion.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb | あくまでも + clause (sense ② often + 〜にすぎない / 〜だ qualifying a noun) | あくまでも参考までに |
Variants
あくまで — Same meaning; も is optional emphasis.
Examples
① ①
警察はあくまでも真相を追及した。
The police pursued the truth relentlessly.
あくまでも初志を貫くつもりだ。
I intend to see my original resolve through to the end.
② ②
あくまでも仮の話ですが、もし失敗したらどうしますか。
Strictly hypothetically, what would you do if it failed?
数字はあくまでも目安にすぎない。
The figures are merely a rough guide, nothing more.
Easily confused with
See あくまでも in real sentences
Jengo shows あくまでも the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.