N2 Negative Adverbs
This page explains yet more new negative verb only adverbs.
すこしもない
Not even a little
少し＋もない means not even a little. Pretty straightforward.
*This is emphasis も
Examples
- ふるさとは子供のころから少しも変わっていない – My home town hasn’t changed a bit.
- 授業を少しもさぼらない。- I don’t skip class even a little.
- 彼は少しも家事や仕事の手伝いをしてくれない – He doesn’t help even a little with chores or work.
- 他のサイトは少しもわからない – I don’t understand other sites even a little.
ちっともない
ちっともない is a variation of 少しもない. It is the original form of ちょっと.
It has the same meaning, but is a tiny bit stronger and easier to put emphasis into. (Source)
- ちっともわからない – I don’t understand at all.
- 彼はちっとも頑張らない – He doesn’t try at all.
まったくない
Not at all
まったくない is also pretty straightforward meaning “not at all”
まったく is usually かな but may be written as 全く. (Note that this is the kanji for “Complete“)
Examples
- 全く分からない – I don’t understand at all. (Anything)
- 全く頑張ろうとしない – He doesn’t even try to try.
- 最近、全く休憩がないんだ – Recently, there’s no breaks at all.
ろくにない
Not good (enough)
ろくにない is a little tricky. ろく technically means “well” or “enough; and ろくにない used for when someone can’t do something well, or isn’t able to do something sufficiently.
It is expresses that something is not good enough.
(Extra Japanese Reading)
Examples
- ろくに読めない – Can’t really read it well.
- ろくに休めない – Can’t rest enough.
- 漢字をろくにかけない – Can’t really write Kanji. (Can’t write well)
- 授業をろくに聞かない – Doesn’t really listen in class
- 若い人はろくに敬語を使わない – Young people don’t use Keigo well enough. (Common complaint)