全然（ぜんぜん、zenぜん）
- at all

The Japanese word 全然 ぜんぜん primarily means "not at all," "entirely," or "completely." It's often used with negative verbs to emphasize the absence or lack of something. However, it can also be used in a positive sense, albeit less common, to mean "very" or "completely." The core idea is about the degree or extent to which something applies or doesn't apply.

⚫︎全然食べません。 Translation: I don't eat at all. ⚫︎全然難しくないです。 Translation: It's not difficult at all. ⚫︎今日は全然大丈夫です。 Translation: I'm completely fine today.

⚫︎ The most common use of 全然 is with negative verbs. For example, 全然＋ negative verb (食べない/wan't eat, できない/can't do). It intensifies the negation. ⚫︎ It can also be used positively, but less often. In these cases, it implies a high degree or completeness. The context will usually make the intended meaning clear. ⚫︎ Be mindful of the context to understand whether 全然 is being used to negate or emphasize a positive aspect. ⚫︎ 全然 can be used in both formal and informal conversations.

⚫︎ 全然 is most commonly written in hiragana: ぜんぜん。 ⚫︎ The kanji is 全然, but it's rare to see it written in kanji in everyday conversation. ⚫︎ The okurigana (送りがな - the suffix hiragana) doesn't have any variation for 全然.

⚫︎ 全く (mattaku) - "completely," "entirely" (also often used with negative verbs) ⚫︎ 少しも (sukoshimo) - "not at all," "even a little" (used with negative verbs) ⚫︎ 全然〜ない is often strengthened with additional words.

There aren't direct antonyms in the same way as words like "good" and "bad." The opposite of 全然's usage with negative verbs would be a situation where something *is* present or *does* exist. Words like "very" or "a little" can be used as alternatives to positive sense.

私は全然英語を話せません。 ・Translation: I can't speak English at all. ・Explanation: The word 全然 emphasizes the inability to speak English.

宿題は全然終わってない。 ・Translation: The homework isn't finished at all. ・Explanation: The word 全然 emphasizes that none of the homework is completed.

The word 全然 is a compound word. 全 (zen) means "whole" or "entire," and 然 (zen) means "so," "like that," or "as it is." The combination implies a state of being completely and utterly in a certain way, leading to its meaning of "not at all" or "completely" depending on context.