N448/179

あまり~ない

Noun + はあまりないVerb (dictionary form) + あまりないい-adjective (dictionary form) + あまりないい-adjective (base) + くない with preceding あまりい-adjective + くない preceded by あまり

Meanings

  • not very
  • not much
  • not really
  • hardly

About this pattern

Explanation

あまり~ない is used to express that a degree is not as much as one might expect or would like. It emphasizes a lower degree or extent of the described property, often with a sense of limitation or surprise. It is commonly used with verbs to indicate you don’t do something very much, with nouns to indicate you don’t have much of something, and with adjectives to indicate something isn’t very X. It carries a soft, understated tone and is more natural in everyday speech than a blunt negative. In many cases, you can replace ~ない with ~ません in formal writing or speech.

Learn in context

Example sentences

あまり本を読まない。

I don’t read much.

あまり映画を見ません。

I don’t watch many movies.

この店の料理はあまり美味しくない。

The food at this restaurant isn’t very tasty.

彼はあまりお金を持っていない。

He doesn’t have much money.

この車はあまり高くない。

This car isn’t very expensive.

あまり忙しくない日が多い。

There are many days that aren’t very busy.