not very, not much (あまり～ない) – Japanese Grammar あまり～ない (amari~nai)

Q: What JLPT level is あまり～ない?

JLPT N4 — Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences

Q: How do you use あまり～ない in a sentence?

Attach あまり～ない to the appropriate verb or noun form. Not very, not much

Q: Is あまり～ない formal or casual Japanese?

あまり～ない can be used in both casual conversation and polite speech depending on context.

あまり～ない

N4 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

amari~nai

not very, not much

必要がある hitsuyou ga aru と思う to omou られる rareru と聞いた to kiita とか～とか toka~toka でも demo 頃 koro / goro てよかった te yokatta も mo ようにする you ni suru 意向形 ikou kei ございます gozaimasu にくい nikui なければいけない nakereba ikenai 場合は baai wa やすい yasui ところ tokoro 予定だ yotei da のに noni なら nara 必要がある hitsuyou ga aru と思う to omou られる rareru と聞いた to kiita とか～とか toka~toka でも demo 頃 koro / goro てよかった te yokatta も mo ようにする you ni suru 意向形 ikou kei ございます gozaimasu にくい nikui なければいけない nakereba ikenai 場合は baai wa やすい yasui ところ tokoro 予定だ yotei da のに noni なら nara

🃏 Flashcard

あまり～ない

amari~nai

Tap to reveal usage

not very, not much

Tap to test your recall · +10 XP

📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N4

Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences

Reading amari~nai

Post ID 50684

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

not very, not much

📖 How to use it

Expresses that something is not done much, or something is not very (adjective), often implying less than expected.

Attaches to For verbs: attach あまり before the verb and conjugate the verb into its negative form (ない-form). For adjectives: attach あまり before the adjective and conjugate the adjective into its negative form (for い-adjectives, drop い and add くない; for な-adjectives, add ではない or じゃない).

あまり～ない is a common pattern used to say 'not very' or 'not much.' It softens a negative statement, implying that something is less than expected or desired. For example, with verbs it means you don't do something often or much, and with adjectives it means something is not very good, big, etc.

This pattern is used in everyday conversation and is neutral in politeness. You can make it more polite by using あまり～ません for verbs, but the basic form is fine for casual speech. Note that you must use a negative verb or adjective after あまり; you cannot use a positive form.

Word order is flexible: you can say あまり食べない or テレビはあまり見ない, but あまり must precede the negated predicate.

最近、あまりテレビを見ない。

Saikin, amari terebi o minai.

I don't watch TV much lately.

この料理はあまり辛くない。

Kono ryouri wa amari karakunai.

This dish isn't very spicy.

彼はあまりお酒を飲まない。

Kare wa amari osake o nomanai.

He doesn't drink much alcohol.

Not ぜんぜん～ないあまり～ない means 'not very' (some but little), while ぜんぜん～ない means 'not at all' (zero). For example, あまりおいしくない is 'not very tasty' but ぜんぜんおいしくない is 'not tasty at all.'

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

あまり～ない

📚 How to Master This Pattern

🔊

Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat あまり～ない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

🃏

Flip Before Reading

Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.

✍️

Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using あまり～ない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

⏰

Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N4 Patterns

← Previous

間に

while/during~ something happened

後で

after ~; later

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern あまり～ない mean? ▼

Not very, not much

What JLPT level is あまり～ない? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N4 — Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use あまり～ない in a sentence? ▼

Attach あまり～ない (amari~nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is あまり～ない formal or casual Japanese? ▼

あまり～ない is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.

How can I remember あまり～ない long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.