adverbial N3 essential casualpolitewritten
絶対に — absolutely
絶対に ・ ぜったいに
Meaning
① absolutely will: absolutely / definitely ~ — with an affirmative
② absolutely not: absolutely not / never ~ — with a negative
Key sentence
① absolutely will
明日は絶対に行く。
I'll definitely go tomorrow.
② absolutely not
秘密は絶対に言わない。
I'll absolutely never tell the secret.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb | 絶対（に） + affirmative or negative predicate |
Variants
絶対 ・ ぜったい — Casual speech often drops the に before a verb (e.g. 絶対 行く).
Examples
① absolutely will
この試合は絶対に勝つ。
We are absolutely going to win this match.
約束は絶対に守る。
I will absolutely keep my promise.
② absolutely not
ここでは絶対にタバコを吸わないでください。
Absolutely do not smoke here.
そんなことは絶対にありえない。
That is absolutely impossible.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 絶対 is also a noun / na-adjective meaning 'the absolute' (絶対の自信 = 'absolute confidence'); the adverb 絶対に is the everyday emphatic use.
See 絶対に in real sentences
Jengo shows 絶対に 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.