あまりにも (amari ni mo)
あまりにも — far too ~, excessively
Pattern
-
あまりにも + 形容詞/動詞あまりにも + adjective (あまりにも高い) + result -
あまりにも + 〜くて/〜ので、~followed by a result with て or ので
Excess with a result
あまりにも points out that something was too much, and the second half shows what followed: 高すぎて買えなかった. It often carries a negative or surprised feeling about the excess.
Compared with あまりの
あまりの+noun+に (previous lesson) uses a noun, while あまりにも goes straight before an adjective or verb. The two express a similar idea, and both can sound emotional.
Examples
-
あまりにも高(たか)かったので、買(か)えませんでした。
Amari ni mo takakatta no de, kaemasen deshita.
It was too expensive, so I couldn't buy it.
-
あまりにも忙(いそが)しくて、昼(ひる)ご飯(はん)を食(た)べる時間(じかん)もなかった。
Amari ni mo isogashikute, hirugohan o taberu jikan mo nakatta.
I was far too busy to even have time to eat lunch.
-
その映画(えいが)はあまりにも悲(かな)しくて、涙(なみだ)が止(と)まらなかった。
Sono eiga wa amari ni mo kanashikute, namida ga tomaranakatta.
The movie was so terribly sad that I couldn't stop crying.
Common mistakes
- Do not use it with a negative to mean “not very” (that is あまり~ない). あまりにも means “far too”.
- It suggests an excess. For plain, positive praise, use とても.
More grammar points
- あまり あまりの~に — so ~ that ~
- ば~ほど ~ば~ほど — the more ~, the more ~
- 別(べつ)に~ない 別に~ない — not particularly ~
- だけ だけ — only, just; as much as ~
- どうしても どうしても — no matter what, absolutely
- ほど ~ほど — to the extent of ~
- ほど~ない A ほど~ない — not as ~ as A
- 決(けっ)して~ない 決して~ない — never ~
- くらい / ぐらい くらい/ぐらい — about ~, to the extent of ~
- めったに~ない めったに~ない — rarely ~
- なかなか なかなか — quite / (not) easily
- なるべく なるべく — as much as possible
- に比(くら)べて ~に比べて — compared with ~
- さえ ~さえ — even ~
- せいぜい せいぜい — at most / at best
- 数量(すうりょう) + は 数量+は — “at least (amount)”
- とても~ない とても~ない — “can't possibly ~”
- よりも ~よりも — “more than ~ / rather than ~”
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.