Skip to content
道Nihongo Path

Lesson 2 of 156

Save Sign in to track

〜あまり(に)

amari (ni)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Meaning

because of too much ..., so ... that

〜あまり(に) means "because of too much X" or "so X that…". It attaches to an emotion or state that goes beyond the normal level (worry, joy, surprise, absorption), and the second clause gives the unusual consequence: sleepless nights, tears, forgetting one's health.

書き言葉寄り and slightly literary. The first part is typically an emotion noun with の (心配のあまり), an adjective-derived noun (嬉しさのあまり), or a verb of excess (熱中するあまり). The result is unplanned and usually negative or extreme. In casual speech people more often say 〜すぎて.

Formation

V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.

  • Vる/Vた + あまり / N + の + あまり / Aな + な + あまり

Visual diagram

  1. 心配emotion / excessive state
  2. のあまりbecause of too much…
  3. 一晩中眠れなかったextreme, unplanned result
Out of sheer worry, I couldn't sleep all night.

Natural examples

  1. 心配のあまり、一晩中眠れなかった。

    しんぱいのあまり、ひとばんじゅうねむれなかった。

    Out of sheer worry, I couldn't sleep all night.

    Noun + の + あまり with an emotion noun.

  2. 彼女は嬉しさのあまり、泣き出した。

    かのじょはうれしさのあまり、なきだした。

    Overcome with joy, she burst into tears.

    い-adjective becomes a noun with さ: 嬉しさのあまり.

  3. 仕事に熱中するあまり、健康を忘れてしまった。

    しごとにねっちゅうするあまり、けんこうをわすれてしまった。

    Being too absorbed in work, he forgot about his health.

    Vる + あまり: 熱中する, 急ぐ, 考える are common.

  4. 驚きのあまり、声も出なかった。

    おどろきのあまり、こえもでなかった。

    I was so astonished that I couldn't even speak.

    声も出ない is a typical extreme result.

  5. 彼は完璧を求めるあまりに、締め切りを守れなくなった。

    かれはかんぺきをもとめるあまりに、しめきりをまもれなくなった。

    In seeking perfection too hard, he became unable to meet deadlines.

    あまりに with a verb: an excessive attitude leading to a problem.

Similar grammar and the difference

  • 〜すぎて

    Everyday equivalent for degree: 心配しすぎて眠れなかった. あまり is more literary and prefers emotion nouns.

  • あまりに(も)〜

    Adverb use: あまりにも高くて買えない ("too expensive"). Same word, but it modifies an adjective instead of ending a clause.

  • 〜だけに

    "Precisely because": the result matches the cause logically, without the sense of excess. Compare side by side

Common mistakes

  • ✗
    嬉しいのあまり、泣き出した。
    ✓
    嬉しさのあまり、泣き出した。
    Why
    An い-adjective must become a noun with さ (or use 嬉しいあまり without の) before のあまり.
  • ✗
    心配のあまり、友達に電話しよう。
    ✓
    心配のあまり、友達に電話してしまった。
    Why
    The result of あまり is something that happened beyond control, not an intention or plan.
  • ✗
    寒さのあまり、コートを着た。
    ✓
    寒さのあまり、手が動かなくなった。
    Why
    Putting on a coat is an ordinary reaction; あまり needs an extreme, abnormal consequence.

あまりの + noun + に is a close variant: あまりの暑さに倒れた. The subject is usually a person experiencing an emotion; weather and abstract causes appear as あまりの〜に instead. The clause after あまり is normally past tense or a state that has already come about.

JLPT N2 tips

On the exam

  • If the blank follows an emotion noun with の (悲しみの・驚きの・怒りの) and the ending is an extreme past event, choose あまり.
  • Typical distractors: だけに, せいで, ばかりに. せいで can follow the same nouns but does not carry "too much"; the clue is words like 声も出ない, 眠れない, 倒れる.
  • Remember the adjective rule (嬉しさのあまり) for 文の組み立て questions where さ appears as a separate chunk.

Frequently asked questions

What does 〜あまり(に) mean?

because of too much ..., so ... that. 〜あまり(に) means "because of too much X" or "so X that…". It attaches to an emotion or state that goes beyond the normal level (worry, joy, surprise, absorption), and the second clause gives the unusual consequence: sleepless nights, tears, forgetting one's health.

How do you form 〜あまり(に)?

Vる/Vた + あまり / N + の + あまり / Aな + な + あまり. V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.

When is 〜あまり(に) used?

書き言葉寄り and slightly literary. The first part is typically an emotion noun with の (心配のあまり), an adjective-derived noun (嬉しさのあまり), or a verb of excess (熱中するあまり). The result is unplanned and usually negative or extreme. In casual speech people more often say 〜すぎて.

What is the difference between 〜あまり(に) and 〜すぎて?

Everyday equivalent for degree: 心配しすぎて眠れなかった. あまり is more literary and prefers emotion nouns.

What is the difference between 〜あまり(に) and あまりに(も)〜?

Adverb use: あまりにも高くて買えない ("too expensive"). Same word, but it modifies an adjective instead of ending a clause.

What is a common mistake with 〜あまり(に)?

Wrong: 嬉しいのあまり、泣き出した。 Right: 嬉しさのあまり、泣き出した。 An い-adjective must become a noun with さ (or use 嬉しいあまり without の) before のあまり.

Quick check

1 / 5Multiple choiceDifficulty 3 of 5

悲しみ（　　）、彼女は何日も食事ができなかった。