Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 9: 1/22

(かなら)ずしも

Not always, Not entirely, Not necessarily

Structure

(かなら)ずしも + Phrase + わけではない(1)
(かなら)ずしも + Phrase + とは(かぎ)らない
(かなら)ずしも + Phrase + とは()ない


(1) わけじゃない

Details

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About 必ずしも

Although it is often considered a stand-alone adverb, (かなら)ずしも is a combination of the adverb (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, (かならず)ずしも may be translated as something similar to 'absolutely certainly'.
However, (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)'. (かならず)ずしも is often used at the beginning of a phrase, before expressing something that is not 100% certain.
  • (おとこ)(ひと)(かなら)ずしも(つよ)わけではない
    Men are not necessarily always strong.
  • 刑務所(けいむしょ)いる(ひと)たちは(かなら)ずしも犯罪(はんざい)(おか)したとは(かぎ)らない
    People in prison are not always in there because they have committed a crime.
  • (おんな)(ひと)(かなら)ずしも()(もの)()とは()えない。
    Women do not necessarily love shopping.

Examples

  • (おとこ)(ひと)(かなら)ずしも運転(うんてん)上手(じょうず)とは(かぎ)らない

    Men are not necessarily good drivers.

  • (おも)()(かなら)ずしも(うつく)しいとは(かぎ)らない

    Memories are not always beautiful.

  • (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.

  • 先生(せんせい)だけど、(かなら)ずしもいい(ひと)とは(かぎ)りません

    Even though he is a teacher, it does not necessarily mean he is a good person.

  • 失敗(しっぱい)(かなら)ずしも(わる)わけではない

    Failure is not necessarily bad.

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必ずしも – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (3 in total)

  • matt_in_mito

    matt_in_mito

    About 5 years ago

    Can someone please explain what the addition of this does to a sentence, vs it not being in the sentence?
    Simply ~とは限らない, etc. already seems as though emphasis is being placed on the ‘not necessarily’ part, so I’m not sure I understand the point of adding 必ずしも into a sentence.
    Thanks in advance

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    About 5 years ago

    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

    matt_in_mito

    About 5 years ago

    @mrnoone thanks! Got it!

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