adverbial N2 common casualpolitewritten
一切〜ない — not at all / not in the least ~
一切〜ない ・ いっさいない
Meaning
- not at all / not in the slightest / none whatsoever — a strong, categorical denial that rules out every instance
Key sentence
事故について、会社は一切説明しなかった。
The company gave no explanation at all about the accident.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 一切 + (object) + negative predicate | 一切 + 〜ない / 〜ません | 一切知らない / 一切認めない |
Examples
私はこの件に一切関係ありません。
I have absolutely nothing to do with this matter.
店内での撮影は一切禁止です。
Photography inside the store is strictly forbidden.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 一切 originally means 'everything / the whole', so with a negative it sweeps the entire range to zero. With an affirmative it instead means 'everything' (費用は一切込み, 'all costs included').
See 一切〜ない in real sentences
Jengo shows 一切〜ない 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.