Chittomo is a Japanese word for ‘at all’, explained

What does “chittomo” mean in Japanese?

Japanese native speakers use chittomo to add the meaning of ‘at all’ in negative sentences. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I’m explaining this word in detail together with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand chittomo more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “chittomo”
  • How to say “at all” in Japanese
  • Another example of “chittomo”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “chittomo”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of chittomo.

• chittomo – ちっとも : an adverb used to add the meaning of ‘at all’ in Japanese.

Again, but native speakers use this adverb in negative sentences to add the meaning of ‘at all’ in Japanese. So, the usage is very simple.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

How to say “at all” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after watashi to make the subject in the sentence.
• kowaku – 怖く (こわく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, kowai, which means ‘scared’ or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• nakat – なかっ : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, nai, which is used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In this example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after kowaku nakat to make its past tense form, kowaku nakat ta, which means ‘was not scared’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of chittomo. In this example, it works together with kowaku nakat ta to mean ‘was not scared at all’ in Japanese.

Another example of “chittomo”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kono – この : a determiner used before a noun which refers to something close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before eiga to mean ‘this movie’ in Japanese.
• eiga – 映画 (えいが) : a noun meaning a ‘movie’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• omoshiroku – 面白く (おもしろく) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, omoshiroi, which means ‘interesting’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the example, this is used after omoshiroku to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is very similar to that of not in English.

This is another example of chittomo. In this example, it works together with omoshiroku nai to mean ‘not interesting at all’ in Japanese. When we want to add the meaning of ‘at all’ in negative sentences, chittomo is a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of chittomo together with the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• chittomo – ちっとも : an adverb used to add the meaning of ‘at all’ in Japanese. Native speakers use this adverb in negative sentences to add the meaning of ‘at all’ in Japanese. So, the usage is very simple.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.