Word
一概に
Meaning in Englishunconditionally, necessarily
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 一概に mean? It means applying a single generalization to all cases, often used to hedge or caution against overgeneralization; it denotes a broad generalization that may not hold in every situation.
Main meanings
- Broad generalization: expresses applying a property to things as a whole
- Hedging usage: often paired with 言える or 言えない to avoid overgeneralization
- Formal nuance: common in analytic or academic writing
How to use it
Used mainly in formal or written contexts to hedge broad generalizations; attaches to adverbial に and pairs with verbs such as 言える and 言えない; commonly occurs in negative constructions: 一概には言えない.
Variants and close terms
- 一般には (ippan ni) - generally
- 概して (gaishite) - on the whole
- 全般的には (zenpanteki ni) - generally speaking
- 個別には (kobetsu ni) - individually (antonym)
Composition
- 一: one, a single unit
- 概: outline, gist, general idea
- に: adverbial particle turning the noun into an adverb
Etymology
いちがい (ichigai) is the on'yomi reading of 一概; the compound assembles 一 meaning one and 概 meaning outline or gist; the form with に yields the adverbial 一概に.
Word class
adverb (副詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
一同
ichidou
all present, all concerned, all of us
N1
一部分
ichibubun
a part, a portion
N1
一別
ichibetsu
parting
N1
一面
ichimen
one side, the other hand
N1
一目
ichimoku
a glance, a look, a glimpse
N1
一様
ichiyou
uniform, similar, equal
N1
一律
ichiritsu
even, uniform, equal
N1
一連
ichiren
a series, a chain, a ream (of paper)
N1
一括
ikkatsu
all together, batch