GrammarJLPT N5
→ so much
So much / That much
JLPT N5AdverbNeutral
そんなに is an adverb meaning "so much" or "that much," used to refer to a degree or extent of something that is associated with the listener or a situation the speaker has some distance from. It belongs to the こそあど (ko-so-a-do) demonstrative system, where こんなに refers to something close to the speaker, そんなに to something close to the listener or contextually moderate in distance, and あんなに to something distant from both. そんなに modifies verbs, adjectives, and even entire clauses to indicate degree. It is frequently used in negative sentences to mean "not that much" or "not so much," functioning similarly to それほど or あまり in negative contexts. In affirmative sentences, it expresses surprise or emphasis about the extent of something, often translating as "so much" or "that much." It is natural in both spoken and written Japanese and carries a neutral register.
Functions
#1 Negation of degree (not that much)
Structure
そんなに + Verb / Adjective (negative form)
日本語はそんなにむずかしくないですよ。
One of the most common uses of そんなに is in negative sentences, where it downplays the degree of something the listener believes or has implied. Here, the speaker responds to the listener's assumption that Japanese is difficult by saying it is not "that" difficult. In this pattern, そんなに works similarly to あまり or それほど, softening or denying the extent of a quality or action.Japanese isn't that difficult, you know.
Structures
- With Verb
- そんなに + Verb
- With い-Adjective
- そんなに + い-Adjective
- With な-Adjective
- そんなに + な-Adjective (+ ではない / じゃない etc.)
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing そんなに with こんなに or あんなに. Remember that そんなに refers to a degree connected to the listener or something just mentioned, while こんなに refers to something the speaker is experiencing directly, and あんなに refers to something distant from both parties. Another frequent error is using そんなに in affirmative statements where とても would be more natural; そんなに in affirmative sentences typically implies reacting to a perceived degree rather than simply stating "very." Learners also sometimes forget that そんなに pairs very naturally with negative forms, similar to あまり, and mistakenly avoid this combination.
Related
あんなにこんなにそれほどあまりとても