The Meaning of sukoshi mo [少しも] In Japanese

少しも
すこしも
Romaji: sukoshi mo N5

What does 少しも mean?

Translation and Meaning

not at all, not in the least, not even a little

Definition

少しも functions as a negation intensifier preceding a negative predicate, signaling complete absence of any amount.

Type

adverb (副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • 1) Complete negation: emphasizes that no amount of something exists or is true.
  • 2) Intensifies negativity: commonly pairs with ない, ありません, etc., to strengthen a statement.
  • 3) Style note: more common in formal or written Japanese; casual speech often uses ちっとも or other forms.

Etymology

Phonetic evolution: 少し is formed from 少 (small) plus the adverbial suffix し, while も is a particle that adds emphasis or inclusivity; their combination yields 少しも, an expression used to intensify negation.

Composition

  • 少: little, few
  • し: part of the adverbial stem
  • も: particle meaning ‘even’ or ‘also’ used for emphasis

Usage

Predominantly precedes a negative predicate such as ない or ありません to express strong negation; suitable for formal, written, and careful speech; in casual spoken Japanese, ちっとも is more common; the construction is relatively fixed and does not appear with positive statements.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 少し as a tiny amount and も as ‘even’; when you add a negation, you are saying ‘not even a little’—picture a tiny coin blocked by a wall.

Variations

  • ちっとも (chitto mo) — casual counterpart meaning not at all
  • 全く (mattaku) — stronger or more general not at all when used with negatives

Example Phrases

  • 今日は少しも寒くないから外へ出た。
    Kyou wa sukoshi mo samukunai kara soto e deta.
    I went outside today because it wasn’t cold at all.
    Lista:
    • 今日 (kyou) – day
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 少しも (sukoshi mo) – not at all
    • 寒くない (samukunai) – not cold
    • から (kara) – because
    • 外へ (soto e) – outside to
    • 出た (deta) – went out
    The word 「少しも」 with a negative verb means ‘not at all’.
少しも