全然 vs あまり
JLPT N5 vocabulary · what is the difference?
Both 全然 and あまり are used with a negative verb or adjective, but they mark different amounts: 全然分かりません means "I don't understand at all" (zero), while あまり分かりません means "I don't understand very well" (a little, but not much). Pick 全然 for a flat zero and あまり for a softened, partial negative.
When to use each
全然
ぜんぜん
Use 全然 when the amount is zero and you want to sound emphatic: 全然 + ない / ません / ~くない. In casual speech you will also hear affirmative 全然大丈夫 or 全然いい meaning "totally fine", which is common but informal, so keep it out of writing and polite situations.
この漢字は全然読めません。
このかんじはぜんぜんよめません。
I can't read this kanji at all.
お金は全然ありません。
おかねはぜんぜんありません。
I have no money at all.
あまり
あまり
Use あまり + negative when the level is low but not zero: あまり好きではない means you don't dislike it, you just aren't keen. It is the polite, soft way to decline or disagree, and in casual speech it often shortens to あんまり.
辛い物はあまり好きではありません。
からいものはあまりすきではありません。
I'm not very fond of spicy food.
昨日はあまり寝ていません。
きのうはあまりねていません。
I didn't sleep much last night.
Sentences where only one works
お酒は全然飲みません。
おさけはぜんぜんのみません。
I don't drink alcohol at all.
全然 because the amount is truly zero — this is the sentence a non-drinker says. あまり飲みません would mean you do drink, just not much.
お酒はあまり飲みません。
おさけはあまりのみません。
I don't drink much alcohol.
あまり because you drink a little. It is also the softer answer when you want to decline politely without shutting the topic down.
彼のことは全然知りません。
かれのことはぜんぜんしりません。
I don't know anything about him at all.
Knowing someone is close to all-or-nothing here, so 全然 fits; あまり知りません would mean you know him slightly.
Common mistakes
全然分かります。
よく分かります。
In standard, polite Japanese 全然 needs a negative. Affirmative 全然 exists in casual speech (全然大丈夫), but a bare 全然分かります in a classroom or at work sounds wrong.
あまり嫌いです。
あまり好きではありません。
あまり also needs a negative predicate. Learners attach it to a positive adjective; instead, negate the opposite word.
この本は全然難しくないです。(meaning: it is a bit difficult)
この本はあまり難しくないです。
全然 says the difficulty is zero. If you mean "not that difficult", あまり is the right strength.
Frequently asked questions
Is 全然大丈夫 wrong?
It is not wrong, it is informal. Affirmative 全然 with words like 大丈夫, いい and 平気 is normal spoken Japanese among friends and is very common. Teachers and exams still expect 全然 + negative, and you should not write it in an essay or say it to a customer.
What is the difference between あまり and あんまり?
None in meaning. あんまり is the casual spoken form; あまり is the neutral one you write and use in polite speech.
Can I use 全然 to soften a refusal?
No — it does the opposite. 全然好きではありません is a blunt "I don't like it at all". To decline gently, say あまり好きではありません, or just あまり… and trail off.