Grammar Info
N4 Lesson 8: 4/18

そんなに
so (much), that much, like that

Structure
そんなに + Verb
そんなに + [い]Adjective
そんなに + [な]Adjective
Details
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使用域 一般
Information
そんなに, like そんな, is one of the most common ways to express that one thing is ‘like’ something else in casual conversation. The addition of the particle just highlights そんな as being the ‘destination’ of the ‘like’ amount. This construction is regularly translated as ‘so much’, ‘that much’, or simply ‘like that’.
As a word, そんなに is used adverbially. This means that it may come before any verb, い-Adjective, or な-Adjective.
  • そんなに食(た)べたらお腹(なか)を壊(こわ)
    If you eat that much, you are going to break your stomach. (Natural Japanese for ‘stomach ache’)
  • そんなに暑(あつ)と思(おも)うならエアコンつければいい
    If you think it’s that hot, you should turn on the air conditioner.
  • そんなに嫌(きら)いなら、無理(むり)食(た)べなくてもいい
    If you dislike it that much, you don't have to force yourself to eat it.
Almost any そんなに based sentence can be translated literally as ‘to an extent like (A)’, where (A) is the word that comes after そんなに, and indicates ‘to’.
As そんなに is another example of こそあど言葉(ことば) (words like これ, それ, あれ, and どれ), it means that こんなに, あんなに, and どんなに may also be used.
  • こんなにもらてもいいんです
    Is it okay to receive this much? (Are you really giving me all of this?)
  • あんなに食(た)べのにまだお腹(なか)空(すい)いている
    You are still hungry, even after eating that much?
  • どんなに頑張(がんば)っても、私(わたし)先輩(せんぱい)みたいないと思(おも)う
    No matter how hard I try, I don't think that I can become like my senpai.
Despite this, そんなに is almost considered a set phrase, and is therefore the most common out of all of the possibilities (except for どんなに, which is often used when explaining/giving reasons for something).
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このケーキそんなに甘(あま)いんです
Is this cake really that sweet?
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そんなに痛(いた)いなら病院(びょういん)行(い)ったほうがいいんじゃないです
If it hurts that much, shouldn't you go to the hospital?
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そんなに頑張(がんば)っても彼(かれ)みたいに出来(でき)ない
Even if I tried that hard, I couldn't do it like he can.
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