Grammar Info
N3 Lesson 6: 8/24

とても~ない
not ~ at all, cannot ~ at all

Strong sense of impossibility

Structure
とても + Verb[ない]
Details
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使用域 一般
Information
When seen in sentences containing verbs negated with the 助動詞(じょどうし) (auxiliary verb) ない, とても carries the nuance of ‘not (A) at all’, or ‘cannot (A) at all’. とても is supposed to only be used when expressing 不可能(ふかのう) ‘impossibility’. Due to this, it will primarily appear alongside the potential form of verbs.
  • その考(かんが)え方(かた)とても理解(りかい)できない
    I cannot understand that way of thinking at all.
  • 彼(かれ)はいつも嘘(うそ)ばかり言(い)うから、彼(かれ)言(い)う事(こと)はとても信(しん)じられない
    He always just lies, so I cannot trust what he says at all.
Fun Fact
As long as some part of the sentence expresses the speaker's view about the impossibility of (A), the verb is not always required to be in the negative form.
  • 彼(かれ)子供(こども)できたの!?彼(かれ)親(おや)になること想像(そうぞう)するのはとても無理(むり)
    He has a baby coming? I cannot imagine him becoming a parent at all.
  • どこ航空会社(こうくうがいしゃ)も今(いま)はチケット売(う)っていないから、旅行(りょこう)するのがとても無理(むり)
    No airline company is selling airline tickets, so it is not possible to travel at all.
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とても考(かんが)えられない
I cannot think of it at all.
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とても観光(かんこう)できない
I cannot do any sight-seeing at all.
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とても観察(かんさつ)できない
I cannot do any observations at all.
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Books
みんなの日本語 I
Page 56 [CH 8]
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 17