adverbial N2 uncommon casualpolitewritten
いつもは〜ない — not always / not usually ~
いつもは〜ない ・ いつもはない
Meaning
- not always ~ / not usually ~ — は narrows 'always,' so only part of the time is negated (usually not, but sometimes yes)
Key sentence
彼はいつもは遅刻しない。
He isn't usually late.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| いつも + は + negative predicate | いつも + は + … + ない | いつもは飲まない |
When you can't use it
- The は makes it 'not always.' Without it, いつも来ない leans toward 'never comes / always fails to come'; いつもは来ない means 'doesn't usually come (but occasionally does).' Often it implies today is the exception.
Easily confused with
See いつもは〜ない in real sentences
Jengo shows いつもは〜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 Intermediate Japanese Grammar.