adverbial N4 essential casualpolitewritten
全然 — (not) at all (with negative)
全然 ・ ぜんぜん
Meaning
- (not) at all — pairs with a negative for complete denial
Key sentence
お酒は全然飲まない。
I don't drink alcohol at all.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb | 全然 + negative predicate | 全然わからない |
Examples
この映画は全然面白くなかった。
This movie wasn't interesting at all.
勉強したのに、全然覚えていない。
I studied, yet I don't remember any of it.
彼のことは全然知らない。
I don't know anything about him.
When you can't use it
- In standard usage 全然 requires a negative; 全然おいしい is non-standard. The casual affirmative 全然＋positive ('totally fine') is common in speech but avoid it in writing and on exams.
Easily confused with
See 全然 in real sentences
Jengo shows 全然 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 Basic Japanese Grammar.