Meaning
Strengthens a negative: 全然わからない (I don't understand at all). This topic teaches 全然〜ない. Other uses include 全然違う (completely different) and conversational 全然大丈夫 (perfectly fine); affirmative combinations are not universally wrong.
Formation
- 全然 + negative: 全然わかりません, 全然飲みません
- With adjectives and nouns: 全然寒くない, 全然上手じゃない
- 全然 usually comes right before the predicate but may appear earlier
When to use it
- Core use
- Not at all
Example
昨日の試験は全然できませんでした
I couldn't do yesterday's exam at all.
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.