GrammarJLPT N5
→ remainder
Remainder / (Not) very / Too much
JLPT N5Other (Noun / Adverb / Suffix with multiple functions)Neutral
あまり is a multifunctional word that learners encounter early but whose range of uses expands considerably at intermediate levels. In its most basic adverbial use with a negative predicate, あまり means '(not) very' or '(not) much,' softening a negation to indicate that something does not reach a high degree. When used without negation — often in the form あまりに(も) or before の+noun — it flips to mean 'too much' or 'excessively,' emphasizing that something has gone beyond an expected or acceptable degree. Finally, as a noun or suffix, あまり means 'remainder' or 'surplus,' as in the leftover portion after division or the excess beyond a round number (e.g., 十人あまり 'more than ten people'). Because the adverbial 'not very' use requires a negative verb or adjective while the 'too much' use works with affirmative predicates, context and sentence polarity are key to understanding which meaning is intended. Compared to すぎる, which attaches directly to verbs and adjectives to mean 'too much,' あまり functions more independently and often carries a nuance of emotional overwhelm or exceeding a limit, whereas そんなに〜ない is a close synonym for the 'not very' function.
Functions
#1 Not very / Not much (with negative predicate)
Structure
あまり + Negative predicate
私はあまりテレビを見ません。
This is the most common use of あまり for beginners. Placed before a verb, い-adjective, or な-adjective in its negative form, あまり means 'not very' or 'not much.' It indicates a low degree rather than a complete absence. In this example, the speaker does not say they never watch TV — just that they do not watch it often. This is softer than a flat negative and is extremely frequent in everyday Japanese conversation.I don't watch TV very much.
Structures
- Not very (with negative)
- あまり + Verb/Adjective (negative form)
- Too much / Excessively (with affirmative)
- あまり(に/にも/の) + Verb/Adjective/Noun (affirmative form)
- Remainder / Surplus (noun/suffix)
- Number/Noun + あまり
Common mistakes
The most frequent mistake is using あまり with an affirmative predicate when the 'not very' meaning is intended; for example, saying あまり暑いです when you mean 'it's not very hot' — the correct form is あまり暑くないです. Conversely, learners sometimes add a negative when trying to express 'too much,' producing unintended double negatives. Another common error is confusing あまりの (modifying a noun, e.g., あまりの寒さ) with あまりに (modifying a verb or adjective, e.g., あまりに寒い); mixing up the particles の and に here changes the grammatical structure. Finally, some learners overuse あまり in affirmative sentences where すぎる would be more natural and direct, such as saying あまり食べた instead of the more standard 食べすぎた for 'I ate too much.'
Related
あまりに(も)すぎるほとんど〜ないそんなに〜ないあまりの〜に