Not much, not at all: あまり・ぜんぜん
あまり／ぜんぜん + negative
あまり + negative = not much; ぜんぜん + negative = not at all. Scale: いつも > よく > ときどき > あまり > ぜんぜん.
In short
あまり + negative = “not much, not very”: あまり 高くないです. ぜんぜん + negative = “not at all”: ぜんぜん わかりません. These two adverbs always go with a negative form.
- この 本は あまり おもしろくないです。kono hon wa amari omoshiroku nai desuThis book isn't very interesting.
- おさけは ぜんぜん 飲みません。osake wa zenzen nomimasenI don't drink alcohol at all.
- テレビは あまり 見ません。terebi wa amari mimasenI don't watch much TV.
The basics
あまり and ぜんぜん qualify a negation: あまり ～ません = not much, not very; ぜんぜん ～ません = not at all. At N5, both require a negative sentence.
- あまり テレビを 見ません。amari terebi o mimasenI don't watch much TV.
- ぜんぜん わかりません。zenzen wakarimasenI don't understand anything at all.
The frequency scale
These words form a scale. The first three go with an affirmative verb, the last two with a negative verb.
| Word | Meaning | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| いつも | always | affirmative |
| よく | often | affirmative |
| ときどき | sometimes | affirmative |
| あまり | not often, not very | negative |
| ぜんぜん | never, not at all | negative |
With an adjective
Same logic with adjectives: あまり たかくないです (not very expensive), ぜんぜん おもしろくないです (not interesting at all).
- この 本は あまり おもしろくないです。kono hon wa amari omoshiroku nai desuThis book isn't very interesting.
Common mistakes
- Using あまり with an affirmative verb: at N5, it requires a negative.
- Translating “not at all” with あまり: it's ぜんぜん.
- Saying ぜんぜん だいじょうぶ: young people say it, but in the exam ぜんぜん goes with a negative.
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Oedo Line (Daily life) of the Tokyo subway.