必(かなら)ずしもNot always, Not entirely, Not necessarily

Structure

必(かなら)ずしも + Phrase + わけではない⁽¹⁾
必(かなら)ずしも + Phrase + とは限(かぎ)らない
必(かなら)ずしも + Phrase + とは言(い)えない

⁽¹⁾ わけじゃない

Details

About 必ずしも

Although it is often considered a stand-alone adverb, 必(かなら)ずしも is a combination of the adverb 必(かなら)ず 'invariably', or 'certainly', and the adverbial particles し and も. し and も are often combined in order to strengthen the meaning of the word before it. Due to this, 必(かならず)ずしも may be translated as something similar to 'absolutely certainly'.

However, 必(かならず)ずしも is an expression that is only used in negative sentences, so is commonly translated as 'not always (A)', 'not entirely (A)', or 'not necessarily (A)'. Despite this, the literal meaning is close to 'not absolutely certainly (A)'. 必(かならず)ずしも is often used at the beginning of a phrase, before expressing something that is not 100% certain.

Synonyms

Examples

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失敗(しっぱい)は必(かなら)ずしも悪(わる)いわけではない。

Failure is not necessarily bad.

必(かなら)ずしも上達(じょうたつ)するわけではない。

You will not necessarily become more proficient.

思(おも)い出(で)が必(かなら)ずしも美(うつく)しいとは限(かぎ)らない。

Memories are not always beautiful.

天気(てんき)予報(よほう)は必(かなら)ずしも当(あ)たるわけではない。

Forecasts are not always right.

必(かなら)ずしもこの情報(じょうほう)が正(ただ)しいとは限(かぎ)らない。

This information is not necessarily correct.

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必ずしも – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (4 in total)

mrnoone
Although とは限らない already means “not necessarily/not always” by itself, it is very often used together with the 必ずしも for even more emphasis.
matt_in_mito
@mrnoone thanks! Got it!
rever4217
There’s a mistake in the second example sentence. Double も’s.
刑務所にいる人たちは必ずしもも犯罪を犯したとは限らない。