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Word 756 of 4449

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到底

とうてい

(cannot) possibly; by no means

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 到底無理だ。

    とうていむりだ。

    It's utterly impossible.

  2. 今から行っても到底間に合わない。

    いまからいってもとうていまにあわない。

    Even if we leave now we haven't a hope of making it.

  3. その値段では到底買えない。

    そのねだんではとうていかえない。

    At that price I couldn't possibly buy it.

  4. 彼の考え方は私には到底理解できない。

    かれのかんがえかたはわたしにはとうていりかいできない。

    I simply cannot understand the way he thinks.

Common patterns

到底できない
could not possibly do it
到底無理だ
utterly out of the question
到底間に合わない
haven't a hope of making it in time

Memory tip

It must have a negative, or a word like 無理 or 不可能, after it: however you go about it, the thing is out of reach. Compared with 全然 it sounds resigned and rather formal, and it can never appear in an affirmative sentence.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

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What does 到底 mean?