Adverbs III: Syntax Agreement I
呼応の副詞 ※改訂中
There is a subset of adverbs in Japanese whose meanings are discerned by the form of the predicate that follows as part of a set. These adverbs are knowing as syntax-agreeing adverbs (呼応の副詞1). The most common sub-type consists of adverbs which appear with negative predicates (否定文). There are also those within this sub-type which appear in both affirmative predicates (肯定文) and negative predicates, but the interpretation of the sentence, as well as how to translate the adverb into English, will be the exact opposite.
While the negative predicate–agreeing sub-type is incredibly prolific, it is, of course, not the only kind of syntax-agreeing adverbs. In fact, there are eight sub-types, each corresponding to a specific kind of predicate.
| Sub-Type | Predicate Type | Example |
| 1 | Negative | 全然～ない (not at all) |
| 2 | Declarative | 必ず～する (certainly do) |
| 3 | Suppositional | 多分～だろう (probably) |
| 4 | Conditional | もし～したら (if… were to) |
| 5 | Interrogative | なぜ～のか (why?) |
| 6 | Desire | ぜひ～ほしい (by all means) |
| 7 | Metaphoric | まるで～ようだ (almost as if) |
| 8 | Negative Suppositional | まさか～まい (couldn’t possibly) |
Up to this point in いまび, we have actually seen quite a few adverbs which fall under sub-types 1-6. To ease the information load of this lesson, we will look at the sub-types 1-4, then we will return to sub-types 5-8 once we have learned more pertinent grammar.
Negative Predicate Agreement
The first sub-type of syntax-agreeing adverbs, negative predicate–agreeing adverbs, as we have learned, are most numerous among all the sub-types, and most of them
| Adverb | Positive | Negative |
| 全然 | totally△ | not at all |
| 絶対に | absolutely/definitely | never |
| あまり | too much | not quite/very/much |
| とても | very | simply cannot |
| 決して | never | |
| もはや | already | no more |
| 少しも | not a bit | |
| ちょっと | a little | not readily |
1. 絶対に許さない。
(I) will never allow (this).
(I) will never forgive (you)(for this).
2. 絶対に違う！
Absolutely not, for sure!
Point 3: あまり is more common in negative contexts. あんまり is a colloquial variant due to ん insertion. In positive contexts, it implies that a limit has been passed, making it similar to 非常に (very/greatly/much/quite).
3. あまりうまくない。
I’m not really good.
4. あんまり分かんない。(Colloquial; 東京弁)
I don’t quite understand.
5. あんまり運動しません。(More spoken)
I don’t exercise much.
6. とても真似できない。
I simply cannot mimic.
7. とても疲れた。
I’m very tired.
8. 中国語はとっても難しい！
Chinese is very difficult!
9. 全然分からない。
I don’t understand at all.
10. このドアは閉まらないよ。
This door won’t shut.
11. わたしは一切テレビを見ません。
I don’t watch television at all.
12. その日はちょっと…2
That day won’t be feasibly……
あまり vs あんまり vs あまりに（も）
まだ VS 全然/全く
The adverb まだ means “still,” but when it is used with negative predicates, it can also be translated as “yet,” as the action “still” has not occurred. Consequently, many learners confuse まだ with the syntax-agreeing adverbs 全然/全く meaning “not at all.” However, as similar as “not doing X at all” and “having not done X yet” may be, they are not interchangeable concepts, as the examples below demonstrate.
13. まだ雨が降っています。
It’s still raining.
14. 「もう書きましたか」「いいえ、まだ書いていません」
“Have you written it?” “No, I haven’t written it yet.”
15a. まだ寝ていません。
15b. まだぜんぜん寝ていません。
15a. I still haven’t slept (at all).
15b. I still haven’t slept any. (Have slept but not enough)
16a. まだ寝ない。
16b. 全然寝ない。
16a. I still won’t sleep.
16b. I won’t sleep at all.
17. もう朝なの？まだ全然寝てない。
It’s already morning? But, I still haven’t slept much at all.
While 全く and 全然 are synonymous, the former is taken far more literally in practice. The implication of this is that, at times, 全然 may not, ironically, deny that an action occurred “at all.”
18. きのうは全く寝なかった。 (0 Sleep)
I didn’t sleep at all last night.
19a. きのうは全然寝なかった。 (More Than 0 Sleep?)
19b. きのうは全然寝られなかった。(More Than 0 Sleep?)
19a. I didn’t sleep at all last night.
19b. I couldn’t sleep at all last night.
20. 「はぁー、きのうは全然寝(ら)れなかったよ」「本当に一睡もしてないの？」「いやー、寝たには寝たけど30分おきに起きちゃってさ」
“Ugh, I didn’t sleep at all last night” “Really? You didn’t sleep a bit?” “Well, I did sleep if that’s what you mean, but I would wake up every thirty minutes”
全然 w/ Affirmative Predicates
When 全然 first began to be used in Japanese as a recent loan from Chinese three centuries ago, it roughly equated to “completely,” and it could be seen in both affirmative and negative sentences. However, upon language reform attempts to standardize the language, it became restricted to negative sentences as a syntax-agreeing adverb. This prescriptive restriction on the use of 全然 has never caught on despite textbooks for natives and second language learners alike refraining from accepting its use with affirmative predications.
While the use of 全然 outside of negative predicates is still frowned upon in formal language, you will encounter many instances of 全然＋肯定文 (affirmative predicate) in casual speech.
21. 全然大丈夫！気にもしてないから！
I’m completely okay! It doesn’t bother me at all!
22. 途中参加、途中退室も全然OKなんで、いつでもおこしやす3！
Joining in and/or leaving midway is A-OK, so you’re welcome whenever!
伊達に・・・～ない
Another great of example of syntax agreement can be found with the adverb 伊達に, which by itself means, “ostentatiously/for show,” but in actual practice, it is usually paired with the negative to indicate that the predicate is NOT just for show and that the agent has what it takes. Oftentimes, learners misinterpret the use of ～ない as a tag-question for the affirmative in conjunction with this adverb, which would produce the opposite intended nuance.
23. 伊達に経験豊富ではないということか。
Which would mean, (you) don’t have all that experience just for show!
Implication: The speaker is telling the agent that they do in fact truly have the experience to prove themselves and that it is not all just for show.