As many as that!: number + も
Quantity + も（affirmative）／一〜も + negative
Quantity + も = that's a lot, more than expected (三時間も 待った). 一〜も + negative = not a single one (一人も 来なかった).
In short
After a quantity, も doesn't mean “also”: it stresses that it's a lot, more than expected. 三時間も 待った, “I waited three whole hours!”. With “one” and a negative, it means “not a single one”: 一人も 来なかった.
- 駅で 三十分も 待ちました。えきで さんじっぷんも まちました。I waited a whole thirty minutes at the station.
- 友だちは ビールを 十本も 飲んだ。ともだちは びーるを じゅっぽんも のんだ。My friend drank no fewer than ten beers.
- パーティーに 一人も 来なかった。ぱーてぃーに ひとりも こなかった。Not a single person came to the party.
The basics
You know も meaning “also” (N5). Placed right after a number, it changes role: it expresses surprise at the quantity. The speaker finds it a lot, too much, more than expected. In English: “a whole hour”, “no fewer than”, “as many as”, or just stress on the number.
I waited a whole thirty minutes at the station.
- noun
- particle
- verb
- この かばんは 十万円も する。この かばんは じゅうまんえんも する。This bag costs a hundred thousand yen, no less.
- 彼に 何度も 電話しました。かれに なんども でんわしました。I called him I don't know how many times.
一〜も + negative: not a single one
With the number one (一人, 一度, 一つ, 一さつ…) and a negative verb, も means “not a single one, not even once”. It's a total, emphatic negative.
| Construction | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| quantity + も + affirmative | 三時間も 待った | three hours, that's a lot! |
| 一 + counter + も + negative | 一人も 来なかった | not a single person |
| 何 + counter + も | 何度も 行った | loads of times |
- 日本には 一度も 行った ことが ない。にほんには いちども いった ことが ない。I've never been to Japan, not even once.
- きょうは 一円も 使って いない。きょうは いちえんも つかって いない。I haven't spent a single yen today.
も, しか, だけ: three takes on the same number
The same number can be presented in three ways. With も, it's a lot. With しか〜ない, it's not much. With だけ, it's neutral.
| Phrase | Impression |
|---|---|
| 三人も 来た | three people, that's a lot! |
| 三人しか 来なかった | only three, that's not many |
| 三人だけ 来た | three, that's all (neutral) |
- ビールを 十本も 飲んだ。びーるを じゅっぽんも のんだ。I drank ten beers (that's a lot).
- ビールを 一本しか 飲まなかった。びーるを いっぽんしか のまなかった。I only drank one beer (that's not much).
Common mistakes
- Mixing it up with も “also”: 三時間も 待った doesn't mean “I also waited three hours”.
- Using an affirmative verb after 一〜も: “一人も 来た” is wrong; you need 来なかった.
- Missing the surprise effect: without も, 三時間 待った is a plain fact; with も, it's a complaint or astonishment.
7 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 N4 point is on the Ōsaka Kanjō Line (Emotions) of the Osaka subway.