あまり - Expressing Excessive Degree

Explanation

あまり is used to express "too much" or "excessively," often carrying a negative connotation.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
あまり（に）	+い-Adjective	Indicates an excessive degree, usually with a negative tone.
あまり（に）	+な-Adjective	Indicates an excessive degree, usually with a negative tone.
あまり（に）	+Verb	Indicates an excessive frequency of an action, usually with a negative tone.

Examples

• あの人はあまりに怪あやしい動うごきをしてるから警察けいさつに電話でんわした。
• Ano hito wa amari ni ayashii ugoki o shiteru kara keisatsu ni denwa shita.
• That person was acting too suspiciously, so I called the police.
  

• 部屋へやがあまりにも寒さむくて暖房だんぼうを付つけた。
• Heya ga amari ni mo samukute danbou o tsuketa.
• The room was too cold, so I turned on the heater.
  

• あまりにも突然とつぜんすぎて言葉ことばも出でない。
• Amari ni mo totsuzen sugite kotoba mo denai.
• It was too sudden, and I was at a loss for words.

Deep Dive

The difference between あまり and あまりに:

Form	Example	Translation
あまり	あまり食たべ過すぎてしまったので、つい食たべ過すぎてしまった。	Because I ate too much, I ended up overeating again.
あまりに	あまりに食たべ過すぎてしまったので、つい食たべ過すぎてしまった。	Because I ate way too much, I ended up overeating again.

The difference between あまり and とても: While both can indicate degree, とても does not carry a negative connotation and can be used for positive descriptions, whereas あまり tends to lean toward negative implications.

Comparison and Differences

Grammar Point	Meaning	Example
あまり	Indicates an excessive degree, usually with a negative tone.	あまりにも寒さむくて暖房だんぼうを付つけた。
とても	Indicates a high degree, without negative connotations, and can be used for positive descriptions.	今日きょうのプレゼンはとても良よかったです。

Real-Life Scenarios

To better understand the usage of あまり, here are some real-life conversation examples:

• Scenario: Friends Gathering

  • A: このケーキ、あまり食たべ過すぎてしまった。
  • A: Kono keeki, amari tabesugite shimatta.
  • A: I ate too much of this cake.
    
  • B: あまりに美味おいしいから、つい食たべ過すぎちゃったね。
  • B: Amari ni oishii kara, tui tabesugichatta ne.
  • B: It was so delicious that I ended up eating too much.

• Scenario: At Home

  • 母はは: 部屋へやがあまりにも寒さむいから、暖房だんぼうをつけたほうがいいよ。
  • Haha: Heya ga amari ni mo samui kara, danbou o tsuketa hou ga ii yo.
  • Mother: The room is too cold, so you should turn on the heater.
    
  • 子こ: そうだね、あまりに寒さむすぎて体調たいちょう崩くずしそう。
  • Ko: Sou da ne, amari ni samusugite taichou kuzushi sou.
  • Child: Yeah, it's so cold that I might get sick.

• Scenario: At Work

  • 同事どうじA: あのミーティング、あまりにも長ながくて疲つかれた。
  • Douji A: Ano miitingu, amari ni mo nagakute tsukareta.
  • Colleague A: That meeting was too long, and I'm exhausted.
    
  • 同事どうじB: 確かに、あまりに内容ないようも多おおかったね。
  • Douji B: Tashika ni, amari ni naiyou mo ookatta ne.
  • Colleague B: Indeed, there was way too much content.

Summary

あまり is a commonly used Japanese grammar point to express "too much" or "excessively." When using it, pay attention to its negative connotation and its emphatic spoken form あんまり. With practice and real-life application, you can become more proficient in using this grammar point.

あまり - Indicates Low Degree or Frequency

Explanation

When followed by a negative expression, it means "not much" or "not very."

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
あまり（に）＋ナ形容詞＋ではない	あまり + ナ形容詞 + ではない	Used to indicate that the degree of a certain state is not high.
あまり（に）＋イ形容詞語幹＋くない	あまり + イ形容詞語幹 + くない	Used to indicate that the degree of a certain quality is not high.
あまり＋動ない形	あまり + Verb negative form	Used to indicate that the frequency of a certain action is not high.

Deep Dive

あまり is mainly used to indicate that the degree or frequency of something is not high, and it is often paired with a negative form in sentences. It can connect with adjectives and verbs to express that a certain state or action is not very frequent. For example, "not very fond of" or "not doing much." It's important to note that the colloquial form of あまり is あんまり. While both have the same meaning, あんまり is more informal and suitable for casual situations.

Examples

• 最近さいきんの曲きょくは正直しょうじきあまり好きすきじゃない。
• Saikin no kyoku wa shoujiki amari suki ja nai.
• Honestly, I don't really like the recent songs.
  

• スマホゲームすまほげーむはあまり遊あそんだことがない。
• Sumaho geemu wa amari asonda koto ga nai.
• I haven't played smartphone games much.
  

• 下品げひんな言葉ことばは私わたしはあまり使つかわないようにしている。
• Gehin na kotoba wa watashi wa amari tsukawanai you ni shiteiru.
• I try not to use vulgar language much.
  

• 今いまあまりお金かねのない状況じょうきょうだから満足まんぞくに買かい物ものもできない。
• Ima amari okane no nai joukyou da kara manzoku ni kaimono mo dekinai.
• Since I don't have much money right now, I can't shop to my satisfaction.
  

• 猫ねこパンチぱんちはあまり痛いたくない。
• Neko panchi wa amari itakunai.
• A cat punch doesn't hurt much.
  

• パソコンぱそこんの性能せいのうがあまり良よくないのですぐ重おもくなる。
• Pasokon no seinou ga amari yokunai node sugu omoku naru.
• The computer's performance isn't very good, so it slows down quickly.
  

• なんかなんか体調たいちょうがあまり良よくない。
• Nanka taichou ga amari yokunai.
• I don't feel very well.
  

• あまり勝算しょうさんはないが、やるしかない。
• Amari shousan wa nai ga, yaru shika nai.
• There's not much chance of winning, but I have to do it.
  

Comparison and Differences

Both あまり and あんまり mean "not much" or "not very," but they differ in formality. あまり is more formal and suitable for written language or formal situations, while あんまり is more colloquial and used in everyday conversations or informal settings.

Grammar Point	Usage Context	Example
あまり	Formal situations	あまり使つかわない言葉ことば。
あんまり	Informal situations	あんまり美味おいしくない。

Examples

• あまり使つかわない言葉ことば。
• Amari tsukawanai kotoba.
• Words I don't use much.
  

• あんまり美味おいしくない。
• Anmari oishikunai.
• It's not very tasty.
  

Real-Life Scenarios

In daily life, あまり and あんまり are often used to express a lack of interest or low frequency in something. For example:

Dialogue 1:

• A: 最近さいきん、映画えいが見みに行いった？
• Saikin, eiga mi ni itta?
• Have you gone to see any movies recently?
  
• B: いや、あまり行かないね。
• Iya, amari ikanai ne.
• No, I don't go much.
  

Dialogue 2:

• A: この料理りょうり、どう思おもう？
• Kono ryouri, dou omou?
• What do you think of this dish?
  
• B: あんまり美味おいしくないね。
• Anmari oishikunai ne.
• It's not very tasty.
  

Through these examples, you can see how あまり and あんまり are used in real-life scenarios to express "not much" or "not very," helping to understand and use this grammar point effectively.

Summary

あまり is a very practical Japanese grammar point, often used to express a low degree or frequency of something. By combining it with negative forms, you can accurately convey the meaning of "not much" or "not very." Understanding and mastering the use of あまり can significantly improve the accuracy and naturalness of your Japanese expressions.