adverbial N3 uncommon casualpolitewritten
全部は〜ない — not all ~
全部は〜ない ・ ぜんぶは〜ない
Meaning
- not all ~ / not entirely ~ (but some) — partial negation, where は narrows the 'not' so it covers only part, not the whole
Key sentence
この本はまだ全部は読んでいない。
I haven't read all of this book yet (but I've read some).
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity word 全部 + は + negative predicate | 全部 + は + … + ない | 全部は覚えていない |
When you can't use it
- The は is what makes this partial. Without it, 全部食べていない reads as 'I haven't eaten (it) at all'; 全部は食べていない means 'I haven't eaten all of it (but some).' Dropping は changes the meaning, so keep it.
Easily confused with
全然〜ない 全然〜ない is total negation ('none at all'). 全部は〜ない is partial ('not all, but part') — opposite coverage. みんな〜ない Same は-partial pattern aimed at people rather than things: みんなは〜ない = 'not everyone,' 全部は〜ない = 'not all (of it).' いつもは〜ない The frequency member of the same family: いつもは〜ない = 'not always,' 全部は〜ない = 'not all (the quantity).'
See 全部は〜ない in real sentences
Jengo shows 全部は〜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.