Word
何とも
Meaning in Englishreally, very, extremely, terribly, awfully (not) anything, (not) at all, (not) a bit
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Word context
What it means
What does 何とも mean? It is a Japanese adverb used to express degree or emphasis, typically with negative predicates to indicate 'not at all' or 'not very', and it also appears in exclamations to convey strong surprise or appraisal.
Main meanings
- not at all or not particularly when used with negative predicates
- an exclamatory sense meaning 'how ...!' or 'what a ...!'
- used to hedge or soften statements in casual speech
How to use it
Used as an adverb before adjectives or verbs to indicate degree; appears in formal and casual registers; common with negatives to signal not at all or not very, and in exclamations to heighten emotion; typically used in both spoken and written Japanese.
Variants and close terms
- 全く (mattaku) — not at all
- とても (totemo) — very
Composition
- 何: the interrogative 'what'
- とも: an affix that adds indefiniteness or emphatic degree to the phrase
Word class
Adverb (副詞)
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