全然～ない
🃏 Flashcard
全然～ない
zenzen~nai
Tap to reveal usage
(not) at all
N4
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N4
Upper-Beginner · Forming complex sentences
Reading
zenzen~nai
Post ID
50811
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
(not) at all
📖 How to use it
Expresses that something is not the case at all, or to any degree.
Attaches to
Attach ない (or its conjugated forms like なかった, なくて) to the negative form of a verb (e.g., 食べない), or use with い-adjectives in their negative form (e.g., おいしくない) and with な-adjectives/nouns followed by ではない (e.g., 元気ではない, 学生ではない). 全然 precedes the negative predicate.
全然 means 'at all' and is almost always used with a negative expression in modern Japanese. It strongly emphasizes that something is completely not true. For example, if you say 全然わからない, it means you understand nothing at all. You can use it with verbs, adjectives, and nouns, as long as the predicate is negative. In casual speech, you might hear 全然 + positive sometimes, but stick to the negative for standard usage. This pattern is common in both speaking and writing, and it is very natural in everyday conversation.
昨日はぜんぜん眠れなかった。
Kinou wa zenzen nemurenakatta.
I couldn't sleep at all last night.
このテストは全然難しくないよ。
Kono tesuto wa zenzen muzukashikunai yo.
This test isn't hard at all.
私はお酒が全然飲めない。
Watashi wa osake ga zenzen nomenai.
I can't drink alcohol at all.
Not まったく～ない
Both mean 'not at all', but まったく is a bit stronger and can be used in more formal contexts. 全然 is more common in casual conversation. In negative sentences they are often interchangeable, but まったく can also be used with positive sentences to mean 'totally' (e.g., まったく同じ), whereas 全然 cannot in standard usage.
Register
This pattern is neutral and used in both casual conversation and formal writing, though 全然 is slightly more colloquial than まったく.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
全然～ない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat 全然～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 全然～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
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern 全然～ない mean?
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(not) at all
What JLPT level is 全然～ない?
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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 全然～ない in a sentence?
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Attach 全然～ない (zenzen~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 全然～ない formal or casual Japanese?
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全然～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 全然～ない long-term?
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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.