大して
taishite
In Japanese, "not much" is expressed as 大して (taishite).
The phrase is used to indicate that something is not to a great degree or extent. It can be used to convey that something is "not particularly" or "not especially" noteworthy. Other formal ways to express similar ideas include それほど多くない or あまり多くはない to mean "not that much" or "not too much", or the very formal ほとんどございません to mean "hardly any" or "almost none".
Which one should you use?
While あまり is a neutral way to say "not much" or "not very", 大して is used specifically to emphasize that something is "not particularly" noteworthy or significant, often carrying a nuance of "not as much as expected".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
大して is considered informal. For a casual variation of the related term あまり, you can use あんまり.
How does it change in a sentence?
大して must be used in a sentence that contains a negative verb or adjective to mean "not much" or "not particularly".
How do you pronounce it?
taishite
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 大して in a sentence without a negative verb. Doing so can sound incomplete or grammatically incorrect in standard Japanese.
Did you know?
- The word 大 in 大して means 'big', but in this phrase it acts as a hedge to minimize the importance of the subject.
- The informal version of あまり, which is あんまり, can be used in positive sentences to mean 'too much' or 'excessively', whereas 大して always requires a negative.
- While 大して means 'not much', the word 'taishi' (大師) can also refer to a 'great master' or a high-ranking Buddhist monk, though the two are unrelated in meaning.
Examples in context
- 貼られてから大して時間が経っていないことがわかる。I sense that not much time has passed since it was stamped.This sentence is useful for showing how to express that not much time has passed using 大して.Tatoeba #11028036 by KK_kaku_, translation #11861286 by espamatics
- テストの結果は大して良くなかった。Tesuto no kekka wa taishite yokunakatta.The test results weren't much good.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 大翔 Hiroto映画はどうだった？Eiga wa dō datta?How was the movie?
- 結衣 Yui大して面白くなかったよ。Taishite omoshirokunakatta yo.It wasn't that interesting.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうなんだ。残念だね。Sō nan da. Zannen da ne.I see. That's too bad.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、期待しすぎたかも。Un, kitai shisugita kamo.Yeah, maybe I expected too much.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
