modality N2 uncommon politewritten
全ては〜ない — not all
全ては〜ない ・ すべては〜ない
Builds on ない形
Meaning
- not all ~ / not everything ~ — the は restricts the negation to part, so some but not all is denied
Key sentence
言われたことが全ては理解できなかった。
I couldn't understand all of what I was told (I understood some).
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun / quantifier 全て | 全て + は + … + negative | 全ては終わっていない |
Examples
彼の意見に全ては賛成できない。
I can't agree with all of his opinion.
情報が全ては公開されていない。
Not all of the information has been made public.
When you can't use it
- The は is essential: 全ては〜ない = 'not all (only partial)'. Without は, 全て〜ない reads as total denial 'none at all' — a different meaning.
Easily confused with
Notes
- Same は-partial mechanism as みんなは〜ない 'not everyone' and いつもは〜ない 'not always.'
See 全ては〜ない in real sentences
Jengo shows 全ては〜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.