The Meaning of nantomo [何とも] In Japanese

何とも
なんとも
Romaji: nantomo N5

What does 何とも mean?

Translation and Meaning

not at all, how (emphatic)

Definition

What does 何とも mean? It is a Japanese adverb used to express degree or emphasis, typically with negative predicates to indicate ‘not at all’ or ‘not very’, and it also appears in exclamations to convey strong surprise or appraisal.

Type

Adverb (副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • not at all or not particularly when used with negative predicates
  • an exclamatory sense meaning ‘how …!’ or ‘what a …!’
  • used to hedge or soften statements in casual speech

Composition

  • 何: the interrogative ‘what’
  • とも: an affix that adds indefiniteness or emphatic degree to the phrase

Usage

Used as an adverb before adjectives or verbs to indicate degree; appears in formal and casual registers; common with negatives to signal not at all or not very, and in exclamations to heighten emotion; typically used in both spoken and written Japanese.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize a scale where 何とも binds ‘what’ to an indefinite weight; the more you imagine it, the more you sense uncertainty or emphasis, helping recall its ‘not at all / how …’ nuance.

Variations

  • 全く (mattaku) — not at all
  • とても (totemo) — very

Example Phrases

  • 今日は何とも言えないくらい忙しかった。
    Kyou wa nantomo ienai kurai isogashikatta.
    Today was unbelievably busy.
    Lista:
    • 今日 (kyou) – today
    • は (wa) – as for / topic marker
    • 何とも (nantomo) – indescribably
    • 言えない (ienai) – cannot say
    • くらい (kurai) – about / degree
    • 忙しかった (isogashikatta) – was busy
    何とも is used with a negative predicate to express an indescribable degree; here 「何とも言えないくらい」 means ‘to an indescribable extent’ of how busy you were.
何とも